Thai striking sensation Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon is set to face Russian fighter Dmitrii "The Silent Assassin" Kovtun in a crucial bantamweight Muay Thai clash at ONE Fight Night 32 on 7 June at Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium.
Currently ranked #4 in the division, Rambolek aims to extend his impressive three-fight winning streak after his devastating stoppage victory over Parham Gheirati at ONE Fight Night 29 in March.
The confident Thai contender has studied his upcoming opponent carefully and believes he's identified key weaknesses to exploit.
"Dmitrii Kovtun is a good fighter, no doubt. I never underestimate anyone. But I watched his fights and came up with a plan to deal with him in the ring," Rambolek said to ONE.
Despite Kovtun's reputation as a "Thai Killer" with victories over Ferrari Fairtex and Suablack Tor Pran49, Rambolek remains unfazed by the Russian's southpaw style.
"[Kovtun] seems to run out of steam towards the end and doesn't really have a tight defence. He likes to wait and counter. His strength is his left hook, but I have no problem with his southpaw style. Don't forget I beat Kulabdam, and he's a southpaw, too," the bantamweight contender said.
For the upcoming bout, Rambolek plans to showcase his venomous kicks and capitalise on Kovtun's defensive vulnerabilities.
"For this fight, I'll probably focus more on the kicks because Dmitrii doesn't defend them too well. If I see an opening to knock him out, I'm going for it," Rambolek said.
The 22-year-old phenom, who earned a US$100,000 contract through ONE Friday Fights, has championship aspirations beyond this matchup. He's particularly interested in facing ONE Bantamweight kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Haggerty if victorious against Kovtun.
"The top five guys now? They're all good. Anyone's got a shot at the title. But the one I really want to fight? That's #2, Jonathan Haggerty. After this fight, if I beat Dmitrii, the next name I'm calling out is Haggerty," Rambolek said.
ONE Fight Night 32 will be broadcast live on JioHotstar and Star Sports Select 2 at 5:30 a.m. India Standard Time (IST) on Saturday, 7 June.
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