Two Fighters, Two Setbacks, One Shot At Redemption At ONE Friday Fights 166
Both men headlining ONE Friday Fights 166 know exactly what losing feels like. Neither one plans on feeling it twice in a row.
Panpadej Looksuan and Khunpon Aekmuangnon collide in the flyweight Muay Thai main event of ONE Friday Fights 166, streaming live from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium this Friday, August 14, with a US$100,000 contract and a spot on ONE Championship’s global roster awaiting the winner.
Panpadej opened his promotional run with five straight wins before back-to-back losses, including a split decision to Chartpayak Saksatoon that still gnaws at him.
“I lost to Chartpayak in my last fight, and it’s still bugging me. I really want that rematch,” he said.
Standing across from him is a two-inch height disadvantage he has never faced before, prompting Panpadej and coach Kru Fahsai to study exactly how other fighters have solved taller opponents.
“Khunpon is tall and very skilled. I’ve never fought a fighter this tall before, so I’m relying on Kru Fahsai to help me build a game plan. He told me to study the tape of the fight that Superlek defeated Nabil. As we saw in his last fight, he doesn’t handle body shots too well,” he said.
Khunpon arrives with his own story of hitting reset. Four straight wins to open his ONE run ended when Isannuea Sor Sasiwat stopped him with a body shot in April, a loss that sent him home to reconnect with family before ever stepping back into the gym.
“I’ve been working on my weaknesses, especially building up my body and midsection. I’ve been strengthening my own body,” he said.
That time away clearly did not dull his focus. Khunpon has broken down Panpadej’s game just as thoroughly as Panpadej has broken down his.
“He’s well-rounded with strong right kicks and left punches. Weaknesses are tough to find with him, but he doesn’t handle punches to the head very well. I need to kick the body and target the head with punches. I have to get inside and stay close to him.”
Both camps have arrived at nearly identical blueprints: close the distance, work the body, and refuse to fight at range. Something has to give on August 14, and only one man walks away from Lumpinee Stadium with his comeback fully validated.
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