‘Disappointed’ Zhang Peimian feels he should have nicked Rui Botelho on the scorecards: “I won the fight”

‘Fighting Rooster’ Zhang Peimian couldn’t help but feel frustrated after dropping his latest assignment on the global stage of ONE Championship this past Friday, November 3.

The Shengli Fight Club athlete was a clear favorite heading into his pivotal strawweight kickboxing tie with ONE veteran Rui Botelho at ONE Fight Night 16. The event was held inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

However, the Dinamite Team fighter showed no signs of infirmity as he took control of their explosive tie in the second round until the final bell to gain a nod from two of three judges scoring at ringside.

Looking at the result, the young phenom felt like he had done enough to earn a victory at the end of the fight.

Zhang Peimian told the South China Morning Post:

“Actually, I feel normal. Feeling a little bit disappointed, that’s all. I think I won the fight. But after this, I will review the fight. In the ring, I felt I had the most punches and had the most points.”

Watch the interview here:

Not one to regret missed chances, Zhang Peimian will return to the drawing board to ensure he tackles his shortcomings from his fight last week.

Nothing is clear as to who the 20-year-old talent will face next. But if he has it his way, ‘Fighting Rooster’ would love to run it back versus Botelho to prove that his defeat was just a bad day in the office.

From there, he'd no doubt target a second dance with current champion Jonathan Di Bella, who narrowly got the better of Peimian last October

ONE Fight Night 16 is available to watch via replay for Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America. The global fanbase can relive the entire card via ONE Championship’s YouTube channel or the ONE Super App.