“I Still Deserve a Title Shot”- Petchtanong Outlines Plans on Shutting Off Critics at One Friday Fights 68 Against Alaverdi Ramazanov

Second chances are rare, and Petchtanong Petchfergus is determined to make the most of his. The former ONE bantamweight kickboxing king is all set to return to the ring at ONE Friday Fights 68: Prajanchai vs. Di Bella after a suspension since July  2023. The suspension stemmed from testing positive for a banned substance during off-competition testing that he claims to use for treating injuries. 

Eager to return and show the world what they’ve been missing, Petchanong declared in a recent interview that he’s ready to prove himself once again and demonstrate what he deserves.

Petchtanong outlines plans to silence haters

At 38 years old, Petchtanong Petchfergus boasts nearly two decades of experience in the fight business. This experience earned him a well-deserved title shot against then-champion Hiroki Akinoto for the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title at ONE 163 in November 2022. However, he was stripped of the title and was dealt a suspension following his aforementioned drug test failure.

As a result, the vacant belt was subsequently conquered by Jonathan Haggerty in a champion versus champion match against the division’s MMA king, Fabricio Andrade, at ONE Fight Night 15 back in November 2023. However, that wasn’t the end for the former champion.

Petchtanong is determined to fight back, and he aims to show it in his upcoming clash against fellow former titleholder Alaverdi Ramazanov in a kickboxing bout. His focus is further highlighted in a recent Instagram post by the South China Morning Post.

They uploaded a post featuring Petchtanong’s quote alongside a photo of him, captioned “@petchtanong returns to take on fellow former champion @alaverdi_ramazanov #ONEFridayFights68” The quote reads, “ I am just focused on this fight and making people see that I still deserve a title shot“

However, Petchtanong isn’t the only former bantamweight kickboxing king facing a comeback. His upcoming opponent, Alaverdi “Babyface Killer” Ramazanov, also served a suspension from ONE Championship, receiving a six-month ban for some of his post-fight actions.

Reason for Alaverdi Ramazanov’s six-month suspension

Alaverdi Ramazanov, a fighter known for his devastating elbows, silenced his opponent Alessandro Sara with a bloody TKO victory at ONE Friday Fights 31 last September. However, his deadly elbows were not the only things he had that got people’s attention. After the World Title fight between Jonathan Haggerty and Fabricio Andrade for the kickboxing belt, Ramazanov stormed the ring to confront the new champion, Haggerty.

This outburst resulted in a 6-month suspension for Ramazanov, surprisingly even extending to his gym owner, Mehdi Zatout, who maintained his innocence. After the ban, Zatout released a statement saying, “He [Ramazanov] is my fighter but he is also an adult, and I’m not responsible for his actions. Yes, he told me at the beginning of the show he wanted to go face the winner because he is ranked No. 2.“

Nevertheless, the statement seems reasonable. While a coach can be held liable for the actions of their athletes to some degree, it’s all in the past now. Alaverdi Ramazanov has also been given a second chance, similar to Petchtanong Petchfergus. The question is: who will make the most of their second chance? Stay tuned!