Panpayak Jitmuangnon is finally about to share the ring with a rival he has been on a collision course with for years.
The seven-time Muay Thai world champion looks to extend his flawless promotional kickboxing record to a perfect 5-0 against fellow Thai standout Lamnamoonlek Torfunfarm in the headline attraction of The Inner Circle 32.
Their clash will broadcast exclusively to subscribers in Asia primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, September 25.
His move to kickboxing has completely reshaped his career – and Lamnamoonlek is the next name standing in his way.
Both men have skated around each other on multiple occasions without ever locking horns. Panpayak knows the fight has been a long time coming, and the stylistic parallels only add to the intrigue:
“It feels like fate keeps pulling us together! We’ve almost fought several times before, and the fans have been waiting forever to see this matchup. Style-wise, we’re very similar – we’re both technical southpaws with lethal kicks as our trademark weapons. It’s going to be an exciting trade of kicks, and it really comes down to who controls the tempo better.”
Casual fans might crave a wild slugfest. Panpayak believes purists are in for something arguably more special, however. The Thai slugger continued:
“Fans are in for a classic, high-level chess match. It might not be a wild, reckless brawl, but every single strike thrown will carry weight. It’s a battle of fight IQ where every second counts.”
Lamnamoonlek aims to shut down Panpayak
Lamnamoonlek has spent every minute of camp dissecting Panpayak’s game, and the 28-year-old believes he has zeroed in on exactly where his opposite number is genuinely beatable.
Two of Panpayak’s most recent defeats, against reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Asadula Imangazaliev and Egor Bikrev, both came by way of knockout.
The WMC world champion is convinced the pathway to victory runs straight through that vulnerability:
“This fight, you’ll probably see me throw more punches than usual because punches are his weak spot. If I can get a knockdown or a knockout, it will completely change the dynamic for me and boost my chances of winning significantly.”
Landing the finish would also carry weight far beyond a single result. Beating a fighter of Panpayak’s pedigree could unlock the exact kind of career doors he has been chasing since arriving in the promotion. He shared:
“Beating Panpayak would be huge. This is probably the biggest fight I’ve faced in ONE so far, given his reputation and pedigree are well above mine.”