“He is the number one” - Petchtanong envisions potential future Wei Rui clash
Veteran Thai fighter Petchtanong Petchfergus made it a triumphant return to competition after nearly two years last week and is now looking to sustain the momentum, eyeing the top fighters in his division. Among he is interested in taking on is No. 1 bantamweight kickboxing contender Wei Rui of China.
The former divisional king made this known following his impressive second-round TKO win over Russian Alaverdi Ramazanov at ONE Friday Fights 68 on June 8 in Bangkok, Thailand. It was his first fight back since last seeing action in November 2022.
38-year-old Petchtanong said when asked who he wanted to face next:
"Maybe Wei Rui because he is the number one [fighter] in China, and he seems to be a really good fighter. And I am very interested in fighting the best of the best fighters. I just want to let other people know that I'm also a bit older than other people in my career. I'm doing my best. I still can perform."
Petchtanong was on top of his game right from the get-go at ONE Friday Fights 68, putting the pressure on Ramazanov with a lot of success. He pummeled his fellow former bantamweight kickboxing world champion with solid shots that eventually took their toll on the 'Babyface Killer', who succumbed to the TKO at the 1:59 mark of the second round.
Petchtanong grateful to be back competing in ONE Championship
It took a while before Petchtanong Petchfergus was able to compete again in ONE Championship but he is just grateful that he was given another opportunity to do so.
The Superbon Training Camp affiliate was stripped of the ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title in June 2023 after failing an out-of-competition drug test. It came just seven months after becoming the divisional king and even before he got to defend it.
In an interview with ONE Championship in the lead-up to his comeback fight at ONE Friday Fights 68 on June 8 in Thailand, Petchtanong shared how elated he was when he was given the thumbs-up to return by the promotion.
He said:
"It's my comeback fight. In my heart, there is only happiness and excitement. I want to show my best performnace for everyone who comes to support me."
And sure enough, a good performance was what Petchtanong provided at ONE Friday Fights 68, dominating Russian Alaverdi Ramazanov in their scheduled showdown en route to a second-round TKO win.
He now hopes to vie for another shot at the world title now held by double ONE world champion Jonathan Haggerty at some point.