“It might not go three rounds” - Petchtanong predicts early end to Alaverdi Ramazanov showdown
Former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Petchtanong Petchfergus is excited for his long-awaited return to action this week and is out to get a quick and explosive victory.
The 38-year-old fighter will go up against Russian Alaverdi Ramazanov in a battle of former bantamweight kickboxing kings at ONE Friday Fights 68 on June 28 at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
At the virtual press conference for the event, Petchtanong spoke about his return to competition, saying:
"I haven't put any thought on getting the belt back yet. Since I've been away, I've thought about my return every day and now that ONE andf Chatri [Sityodtong] have given me the opportunity to return, I'm very excited. I've been training hard in the gym and focusing on my fight against Alaverdi. I'll think about the belt afterwards."
He went on to say:
"The fight will be entertaining. It might not go three rounds."
ONE Friday Fights 68 will be the first outing of Petchtanong in ONE Championship after nearly two years.
He was last in action in November 2022 when he seized the bantamweight kickboxing gold from former divisional king Hiroki Akimoto of Japan. He would be stripped of the title even before he got to defend it after testing positive for a banned substance as part of a off-competition testing program, and has not competed since.
ONE Friday Fights 68 is available on pay-per-view. Click here to purchase the event.
Jonathan Haggerty predicts an exciting fight between Petchtanong and Ramazanov
ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Haggerty is going to bean interested spectator for the scheduled showdown between Petchtanong Petchfergus and Alaverdi Ramazanov at ONE Friday Fights 68 on June 28 in Thailand, with the winner possibly next in line for a shot at Haggerty himself.
'The General' gave his take on the scheduled three-rounder between the former world champions, highlighting how the aggressive fighting styles of the protagonists should translate to an exciting contest.
Haggerty told Sportskeeda MMA in an interview:
"Yeah, I'm excited to see that fight go down. Hopefully, I can watch that show there. I'm trying to make plans to go there.
"I think that's a great fight. I feel like they're both going to stand in the middle and fight."
Watch the interview below:
Both Petchtanong and Alaverdi used to hold the ONE bantamweight kickboxing belt and are looking to make their case for another shot at it with a win at ONE Friday Fights 68.