Black Panther and Diego Paez ready settle old score at ONE Fight Night 42

Black Panther and Diego Paez were supposed to fight in February. Both men had completed full camps, passed weight and hydration, and were minutes from their walkouts at ONE Fight Night 40 when illness forced the Thai striker to withdraw.

Two months later, the unfinished business gets its resolution at ONE Fight Night 42 on Prime Video on April 10, live in U.S. primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Black Panther arrives on a four-fight winning streak with knockout victories over Johan Estupinan and Ali Saldoev. The 26-year-old Team Mehdi Zatout fighter made the call to withdraw on doctor’s advice the morning of the fight.

It was a decision that cost him the moment his entire camp had been building toward. He went straight back to training and has used the extra weeks to sharpen his game plan and study Paez even more closely. He sees a clear Muay Thai advantage heading into April 10 and is coming to prove it.

“I ate everything as usual. That morning, I hadn’t even eaten anything yet, and I didn’t have any unusual symptoms leading up to it at all. It happened right as I was about to get in the van to the stadium. We only had a few minutes before the walkouts. At that point, there were two choices: fight or don’t fight. If I chose to fight, I wouldn’t be allowed to drink any water, which would have been brutal on my body,” Black Panther said.

“From what I’ve seen, he has a random Muay Thai style. I have to be careful of those wild exchanges and his boxing. But other than that, I haven’t seen anything else that’s particularly dangerous. So, I think I have the advantage. I’ve been doing Muay Thai longer, and I’ve studied his weapons. As long as I’m not careless, I’ll definitely win.”

Diego Paez arrives sharper and more motivated than ever at ONE Fight Night 42

Diego Paez found out the fight was off while getting his hands wrapped inside Lumpinee Stadium. The disbelief hit immediately. The California native processed it, stayed professional, and was back in the gym within a week.

His son Elias, who was in Bangkok in February and watched fight week fall apart in real time, will be back at ringside for this rescheduled bout — and that image has driven every session since.

The Colombian-American describes himself as the sharpest he has ever felt heading into Friday. He wanted this rematch the moment it was offered, and the extra preparation has only added to what he plans to bring.

“I found out while getting my hands wrapped. My coach told me, and I honestly thought he was joking. At this level, it felt surreal. My initial reaction was disbelief. It was tough. But I stayed professional and grateful for the promotion taking care of me,” Diego Paez said.

“The extra time favors me. I was ready then, and I’m even sharper now. I’ve never felt more prepared in my life. I expect to finish this fight. I’m committed to the game plan, and I’m extra motivated after what happened. My son saw that low moment, and I’m ready to turn it into a win.”