ONE Fight Night 1: Panpayak believes his KO victory “more impressive” than Superlek’s

Singapore, August 31: Panpayak Jitmuangnon has claimed his knockout victory was more impressive than Superlek Kiatmoo9's after the pair booked their spots in the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix Final, which is scheduled for later this year.

Both Panpayak and Superlek had some exciting finishes this past Saturday (August 27) in the semifinals, which took place in ONE Fight Night 1: Moraes vs. Johnson 2 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, and fans worldwide were left clamoring for more.

Third-ranked Muay Thai flyweight Panpayak stepped in to replace Rodtang Jitmuangnon against Savvas Michael in the semifinals. Panpayak made the first round difficult for "The Baby Face Killer" with his forward pressure and heavy-handed blows.

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He finished the #4-ranked contender only moments into the second stanza with a hook followed by a head kick. This performance gave him the coveted spot in the Grand Prix Final against Superlek.

Panpayak had a lot of gratitude for "The Iron Man" for the opportunity to step in as a late replacement.

"I would like to say a big thank you to Rodtang. It was an accident for me to move up to compete against Savvas. This is one of the biggest opportunities in my life. It is such a big opportunity for me to be on this fight card and to win this tournament," Panpayak said.

Earlier on the card, Superlek, the #1-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender, took only 95 seconds to knock Walter Goncalves out in their fight.

"The Kicking Machine" initially ate a handful of strikes from "Iron Hands" but quickly turned the tide when he landed an elbow that forced the #5-ranked contender to stumble.

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The Brazilian powered through but was quickly stunned by another elbow and couldn't recover. Despite Superlek's superb finish, Panpayak believed his finish was more exciting.

"I think my knockout was more impressive [than his], because it was a hook and a follow-up with the high kick," Panpayak said.

Now, both Panpayak and Superlek will meet in the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix Final with the winner earning the coveted silver belt and a shot at ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang.

Source: Media Release