Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy wants to keep win streak strong this year, and he will have the opportunity to do so when he defends his ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title against Magnus “Crazy Viking” Andersson.
The pair clash in the main event of the previously recorded ONE: A NEW BREED III, which airs this Friday, 18 September.
Petchmorakot has looked solid this year, beating Pongsiri PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym in February before taking out legendary compatriot “The Boxing Computer” Yodsanklai Fairtex in a back-and-forth matchup at ONE: NO SURRENDER in July.
“I feel really happy that I won. He is like an idol. He is amazing. He is a great southpaw boxer. He is legendary, so I am very proud,” Petchmorakot told ONEFC.com.
“At first, I waited for him to make his move. I waited because, in the beginning, his punches were heavy and quite scary. But when I was able to anticipate his moves, I was able to counter him with punches and kicks just like how I trained. I played the waiting game.
“But in the fourth and fifth rounds, I was able to anticipate him, so I was able to use my punches, my left shin, and my kicks.”
Now he turns his focus to his Swedish foe, who will come in as the biggest opponent he has faced in his career.
“His punches are scary, and because he is a big fighter, it might be hard to attack him,” Petchmorakot said.
To overcome Andersson, however, he will have to rely heavily on his movement and aggressiveness.
“I will use my feints to intimidate him, and I have my punches and my elbows,” he said.
“I have to be aggressive with my footwork. I cannot back off because he will get confident, so [I need to aggressively move] with punches and elbows.”
At the end of the day, it’s all a matter of pride for Petchmorakot as he vows to keep the World Title in Thailand.
“Defending this ONE World Title is very, very important to me because I want the belt to stay in Thailand for a long time,” Petchmorakot said. “I want to keep this title for as long as I can.”
Watch the previously recorded ONE: A NEW BREED III this Friday, September 18, on One Sports or One Sports+ at 8:30 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (PHT). TV5 will also air the event on a next-day delay at 11 p.m. PHT on Saturday, September 19.
