‘Underdog’ Rui Botelho extremely confident he can upset mighty Zhang Peimian: “I’m the one who will talk to Mitch Chilson”

Portugal’s Rui Botelho knows he will be entering as a massive underdog against former ONE strawweight kickboxing world title challenger Zhang Peimian.

Despite the odds, the proud 28-year-old remains upbeat about his chances against an extremely formidable opponent.

At ONE Fight 16, Botelho embarks on a journey to steal the Chinese prodigy’s thunder and potentially set up his own date against the division’s overlord, Jonathan Di Bella.

This high-wire all-striking showdown will take place this coming Friday, November 3, inside the fabled grounds of Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.

Just a few days before Botelho trades heavy artillery with ‘Fighting Rooster’, he expressed his unwavering confidence in a ONE Championship interview:

“I think it will be an interesting fight for the public. But, without a doubt, at the end of the fight, I’m the one who will talk to Mitch Chilson.”

Rui Botelho has had a rocky showing under the ONE banner so far and has fallen short in his last four outings. He most recently dropped a close split decision verdict to Aslanbek Zikreev at ONE Fight Night 8.

Now, he’s thrust against arguably one of the promotion’s brightest young stars in Zhang. The 20-year-old is coming off a brilliant bounce-back performance against Torepchi Dongak on the same card last March.

While a duel with Zhang is indeed another daunting task for Botelho, his spirit remains strong.

After all, this match does come with a massive upside for the Dinamite Team standout. Botelho can certainly cut the line and catapult himself atop the rankings if he pulls off the upset at ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade on Prime Video.

The full event will air live on US Primetime free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America