Black Panther traded cobras for cats under Mehdi Zatout’s guidance: “Fast strikes and an aggressive attacking approach”

Names carry weight in combat sports. The right moniker can become as dangerous as the fighter behind it.

Thai striker Black Panther faces Colombian-American veteran Diego Paez in flyweight Muay Thai at ONE Fight Night 40 on Friday, February 13, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. The event broadcasts live in U.S. primetime on Amazon Prime Video. The 26-year-old brings a four-fight winning streak into this showdown.

His 80-17 professional record proves the skills existed long before ONE Championship came calling. Thailand’s unforgiving stadium circuit forged those abilities over years of brutal competition.

But when legendary coach Mehdi Zatout entered the picture in 2021, everything changed. The coach understood something crucial about modern combat sports. Personal branding matters. A fighter needs a name that travels beyond borders.

“I had always used the name ‘Jong-Ang-Dam’ (Black King Cobra) throughout my fighting career,” he said. “However, when I joined [Team] Mehdi Zatout back in 2021, he suggested I change it to something more international. He wanted me to have a stronger brand identity that foreigners could easily remember, so he gave me the name ‘Black Panther.'”

Black Panther embodies predator mentality inside the ring

Black Panther isn’t just catchy marketing. The name captures exactly who he is when the bell rings.

Outside the ring, he carries himself with quiet dignity. Then the fight starts and everything shifts. The predator emerges. Fast. Relentless. Unforgiving. His fighting style made the name choice obvious. Speed defines his offense. Aggression dictates his approach. The old cobra identity carried similar meaning. Zatout simply translated it into something global audiences could grab onto immediately.

His promotional debut at ONE Friday Fights 9 in March 2023 didn’t go according to plan. Veteran Tagir Khalilov knocked him out in the first round. Most fighters crumble after that kind of introduction. Black Panther refused to let one bad night define his journey. He gutted out wins over Mohammad Sadeghi and Suriyanlek Por Yenying. That momentum exploded at ONE Fight Night 23 in July 2024 when he flattened Ali Saldoev with a counter head kick. His most recent performance came at ONE Fight Night 37 last November when he dropped Johan Estupinan three times before a left hook ended things.

“The reason he chose this name is because of my fighting style — fast strikes and an aggressive attacking approach,” he said. “Plus, the meaning isn’t too far off from my old name, ‘Jong-Ang-Dam.’ I really liked it, so I decided to make the change, and I’ve been using it ever since.”