Panpayak believes Egor Bikrev’s ‘punching speed’ is not to be messed with: “Russian fighters are skilled at punching”
Thai fighter Panpayak Jitmuangnon has experience going for him against Egor Bikrev in their scheduled collision this week. He, however, believes the Russian striker is a formidable foe, particularly with the speed in his punches.
'The Angel Warrior' spoke about it in an interview with ONE Championship ahead of his matchup with 22-year-old Bikrev at ONE Friday Fights 92: Sitthichai vs. Shadow on Dec. 20 at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, pointing out how in his observation Russian fighters' punching skills are traditional not to be messed with.
The 28-year-old Jitmuangnon Gym affiliate said:
"From what I see, [Bikrev's] strength is his punching speed. Russian fighters are skilled at punching. As for his weakness, because his last match ended so quickly, I can't see any."
Entering ONE Friday Fights 92, Panpayak scored a bounce-back win in his return to ONE action after a two-year interval in October, defeating Romanian opponent Silviu Vitez by unanimous decision. The win improved him to 5-2 in ONE Championship.
Bikrev, for his part, impressed in his promotional debut in November, diplaying his punching power in knocking out Thai Gingsanglek Wor Kumchamnarn in the opening round.
ONE Friday Fights 92: Sitthichai vs. Shadow will be available live via ONE Championship's official YouTube channel, the ONE Super App, and watch.onefc.com.
Panpayak says he is still finding his strength back from long break
Panpayak Jitmuangnon is still in the process of finding back his strength following a two-year break from ONE Championship competition. It is something he is looking to make progress at in his scheduled match at ONE Friday Fights 92 on Dec. 20 in Thailand.
He made this known in the virtual press conference for ONE Friday Fights 92 earlier this week, pointing out how, in his last fight in October, he found himself not having the power late in the contest to fight back the way he wanted to.
The Bangkok-based fighter said:
"I went back for weight training because I missed weight last time around. During the third round, I didn't have strength or power to fight back. For the ranking, I think within three fights, I will be better, and I will be in the rankings."
Check out what he had to say below:
Despite him struggling in his last match, Panpayak still won by unanimous decision over Silviu Vitez of Romania to get his ONE comeback to a good start.