Panpayak seeks fresh start in kickboxing: “I need to develop myself even more if I want to return to greatness”

Panpayak Jitmuangnon meets Zhao Chongyang in flyweight kickboxing at ONE Friday Fights 136 on Thursday, December 12, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The 29-year-old Thai legend requested the switch after a first-round stoppage loss to Asadula Imangazaliev at ONE Friday Fights 122. The head-kick knockout ended a difficult stretch that saw him alternate between wins and losses across six promotional appearances.

Panpayak refused to let that setback break him. Instead, he chose to reset in kickboxing where bigger gloves and different rules suit his technical timing. The move represents both strategic adjustment and emotional renewal for a fighter with nearly 300 bouts across two decades.

“I don’t feel regretful about the result of the last fight at all, because I executed my game plan perfectly. I controlled the pace and was able to counter his attacks throughout. I just made an unexpected mistake and got caught with a head kick,” he said.

“I see this as a normal part of a fighter’s life; there are ups and downs. I need to develop myself even more if I want to return to greatness. I assure everyone I haven’t lost heart.”

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Panpayak Jitmuangnon initiated the kickboxing switch himself

Panpayak Jitmuangnon approached ONE Championship about making the temporary move to rebuild confidence and momentum. His Muay Thai performances hadn’t matched his standards, and he knew something needed to change.

Zhao brings danger through aggressive forward pressure and dangerous punch combinations. The Chinese finisher earned his spot with a dramatic second-round head kick knockout at ONE Friday Fights 124 in September. But Panpayak sees exploitable patterns.

“I was the one who informed ONE that I wanted to switch to kickboxing first to regain my confidence. My performance in the last four Muay Thai fights hasn’t been as good as expected. I am very grateful to the promotion for still believing in me,” he said.

“My physical condition right now is excellent. Fighting with the big gloves is my strength, which alleviates my concern about taking punches and allows me to utilize my technical timing to attack my opponent.

“Zhao Chongyang is an aggressive fighter with dangerous punch combinations and decent stamina. However, I believe he is a fighter who lacks feints and relies solely on his strength to press forward, which I see as a weakness I can exploit by countering his attacks in this fight.”