Petchmorakot Defends ONE World Title In Close Battle With Vienot

ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot offered up nonstop action this past Friday, 20 May, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. 

In the highly anticipated main event of the evening, ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Petchmorakot Petchyindee put his belt on the line against French striking sensation Jimmy Vienot – and a closely contested battle ensued. 

Prior to the bout, Petchmorakot made it clear that he would leave the Circle with the World Title for the fourth time, but Vienot proved to be a challenging opponent. The World Champion had a shaky start, and, for a time, it looked like the bout could go either way. 

Vienot wasn’t short on impressive strikes, as he landed multiple head kicks that troubled Petchmorakot. But the Thai superstar eventually settled into his groove. His confidence grew as time progressed, and he dropped “JV01” with a right hand in the fourth round to change the tide of the bout in his favor. 

“[I was] a little bit surprised. I saw, at that moment, I hit the punch. I didn't think that [he] would be knocked down as well, so I'm surprised. He's a very tough opponent. And he's big, and it's very hard [to fight him],” Petchmorakot said.

Reflecting on the match, Petchmorakot highlighted the challenges his French opponent offered, and how he was different from other contenders he had faced before. In true champion spirit, the 28-year-old striker also recognized areas where he can improve on.  

“The size advantage – it's really a big factor. It's really hard to find someone that big, and also, for sure, he will have a strong strike behind a big frame. So, mainly the difference is that foreign fighters have more punches. And it's very hard to expect strikes with the same pattern of strikes as fighting a Thai fighter. So, it's harder to defend against a strike from a foreign fighter,” he said. 

“What I can improve [on] is to counter when [fighters] try to grab my leg and sweep me every time. [When I threw] the mid-kick to the body, [Vienot] caught and swept [my] legs.” 

With the split-decision win, Petchmorakot defended the World Title for the third time. His efforts also earned him a US$50,000 performance bonus and cemented his place at the top of the division, but the striking king is already eager to step back into the Circle as soon as he can. 

“I think I [shoulnd’t] be called one of the best [yet]. But I will try even harder to get better every time. I want to be the best in the division, meaning no other contender. I will beat everybody in the division,” Petchmorakot said. 

Download the ONE Super App to catch all the action at ONE 158: Pacio vs. Brooks on Friday, 3 June, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.  

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