“I can take his shots” - Petchtanong not worried about Hiroki Akimoto’s power

Petchtanong Petchfergus is going into his first world title match-up in the promotion and is willing to take on the punches.

The multiple-time Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion is slated to challenge the newly-crowned ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto at ONE 163.

The event will be broadcast live on Saturday, November 19 from inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Back in September 2021, the Thai veteran scored his first victory by decision after suffering a horrific one-punch knockout against Capitan Petchyindee at ONE: A New Breed.

Despite redeeming himself in his last outing against Zhang Chenglong, fans are not too convinced he’ll be able to take on Akimoto’s power.

Speaking to ONE Championship, the Thai-born fighter clarified how Akimoto is a good matchup for him, comparing his build to one of the best Muay Thai strikers in the world who he has been training with:

“Another thing is that my build is close to his. I can take his shots. Some people may be worried that I couldn’t handle Hiroki’s powerful strikes like Capitan. But I would say to those people, don’t worry about me in this matter. I’m as big as Superbon, I can definitely handle his attack power.”

Petchtanong is a veteran with a lot more to offer than meets the eye. With 357 victories out of 414 matches to his name, the 37-year-old southpaw is a major threat.

Training with Superbon will certainly help sharpen his technique and strengthen his cardio, but the power is still there. On November 19, Petchtanong is excited to prove that he can go toe-to-toe with the young Japanese stalwart.

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ONE 163 might be the last world title opportunity for Petchtanong

Petchtanong Petchfergus will give everything he’s got to win a world title in ONE Championship.

Holding multiple belts in Muay Thai and kickboxing, the Thai superstar only needs one more before closing the book on his career.

In the same interview, he told ONE:

“I would also like to make the most of this opportunity. This might be my last title shot before I decide to retire. I’m 37 years old now. I started this career because of passion, not money. I actually planned to retire for a while, but when I lost to Capitan, I became more motivated and wanted to get redemption. I was determined to come back stronger.”

Watch Petchtanong Petchfergus sparring with Superbon for his first ONE world title match against Hiroki Akimoto below: