Panpadej Looksuan edged out fellow Thai star Khunpon Aekmuangnon via unanimous decision in their flyweight Muay Thai main event clash at ONE Friday Fights 166 inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The bout aired live in Asia primetime this past Friday, August 14, with ONE Fight Night 46: Hemetsberger vs. Diachkova on Prime Video set to wrap ONE Championship’s triple-header weekend on the same hallowed grounds in less than 24 hours.
Both Thai compatriots arrived chasing redemption after painful setbacks, but it was Panpadej who turned his lessons into action. Learning from his recent losses, the 24-year-old took a more calculated approach against his lanky opponent, using shifty feints and sharp head movement to negate the reach disadvantage.
Khunpon’s front kicks found the midsection repeatedly, but the NF Looksuan combatant timed his entries with crisp punch combinations set up behind a piston-like jab. Khunpon, on the flip side, countered with a lunging left cross that kept the opening frame evenly matched.
The second round opened fast and furious. Panpadej dove straight into the pocket, unleashing rapid-fire hooks that rattled Khunpon. Instead of defending, Khunpon fired back by securing a strong plum and pummeling his compatriot with crushing knees to the body.
A grueling clinch war followed, but Panpadej made the most of split-second openings, tagging Khunpon with left hands to the body and head.
Panpadej stepped on the gas in the final round, pouring on even greater output as powerful punch combinations breached Khunpon’s defenses. The Petchnumnoi product kept reaching for his range, but Panpadej denied him every inch, punishing him with punches and knees until the final horn.
The brilliant performance marked a triumphant return to form, earning Panpadej his sixth victory in the world’s largest martial arts organization and improving his professional slate to 59-7.
