Laotian standout Petnamkhong Sor Maneekhot’s incredible surge shows no signs of slowing, as he impressed from start to finish en route to a unanimous decision win over tough-as-nails Wanchainoi Pongsuphan PK.
Their back-and-forth strawweight Muay Thai clash headlined The Inner Circle 26, which was broadcast exclusively in Asia primetime on live.onefc.com on Friday, August 14.
True to his word, Petnamkhong embraced the underdog role against the popular Thai fan favorite and refused to let the moment shrink him. His footwork was impossible to pin down from the jump, his right kicks finding their mark from a safe distance.
The 22-year-old displayed sharp in-and-out movement too, which prevented Wanchainoi from closing the gap whenever the Thai pressed forward with heavy leather in round one. Undeterred, Wanchainoi turned up the aggression in the second canto, keeping his head down and letting his hooks and elbow combinations fly.
But the Sor Maneekhot athlete refused to be rattled, trading punches in the pocket before creating separation with a well-timed flying knee counter. In response, Wanchainoi walked him down and landed damaging hooks to the body.
Meanwhile, the defiant Petnamkhong met him with sharp teeps that reset the range and denied the PK Saenchai Muaythaigym standout any semblance of rhythm.
Knowing the final round would decide the fight, both warriors left everything on the line. The Laotian slugger tested Wanchainoi’s guard with probing head kicks, and when the latter rushed in with elbows, it descended into a phone-booth war. Petnamkhong poured on the pressure, landing punches with impunity as the final bell sounded.
In the end, Petnamkhong’s superior accuracy and volume proved the difference on the scorecards. The impressive performance – his fourth straight victory in the weekly series – elevated his overall professional record to 47-9 and moved him one step closer to earning a coveted US$100,000 main roster contract with ONE Championship.
