Valerii Strungari’s first ONE Championship win was spectacular. His second outing ended in a defeat that taught him something more valuable than any victory could have.

The 24-year-old Moldovan faces former Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Kongchai Chanaidonmueang in the strawweight Muay Thai main event of The Inner Circle on Friday, June 5, live in Asia primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Strungari announced himself at ONE Friday Fights 133 with a third-round knockout of Sanit Aekmuangnon. The result came from pressure, timing, and the willingness to impose himself against a decorated Thai opponent. The loss to Denkriangkrai Mavinn Muaythai that followed in March told the other side of the story: that same aggression, unmoored from the game plan his team had built, led him into exchanges at the wrong moments and cost him the decision.

He has spent every session since making sure it does not happen again.

“In my last fight, I kind of made a mistake. I was searching for the knockout throughout the fight as opposed to following the tactics that I prepared for in camp,” Strungari said. “So I kind of threw all that away in the moment. But now I’m focused and ready to make sure I stick to the plan to get the job done.”

The hours of footage study that followed that loss produced a precise read on what Kongchai brings to a main event and where the openings sit inside a style that has won three consecutive bouts and placed him firmly in the contract conversation. Strungari respects the credentials while remaining clinical in his assessment.

“Kongchai is an experienced fighter. He’s also on a three-fight winning streak, and I know that he’s aiming and going towards the contract now,” he said. “His left-sided attacks and general arsenal are strong. But he doesn’t use too much of his right side. I’ve also noticed that he’s been using more elbows lately. If I work smartly against him, it’s easy for me to beat him technically.”

That smartness has a specific shape on Friday night. Strungari expects Kongchai to feel his way into the fight rather than come out swinging, and he has built a round-by-round response to that approach. He needs to be patient yet aggressive as the information arrives with contingency plans already loaded if the expected pattern does not materialise.

“I think he’s going to start a bit slower. But I’m going to watch what he brings, assess the situation, and try to find a way to break him down,” he said. “Once I gauge him, I’ll go at him with more aggression. If it doesn’t go to plan, I’ve got plan B and plan C depending on the situation.”

Kongchai’s counter-game of drawing opponents into comfortable positions and punishing the mistake is one of the qualities that has made him difficult to finish over 17 appearances in the weekly series. Strungari’s answer to that is not passivity. It is controlled aggression, and the willingness to fight back if the Thai pushes the tempo.

“I’m not going to back down from Kongchai. I’m going to fight with him if he wants to fight me,” Strungari said. “Maybe I can work him up in the first round, make him think, and then switch it up in the second round. But if he starts to get aggressive, I’m going to be aggressive too.”

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