“Not Fixated”- Getting Honest About Jonathan Haggerty and Hiroki Akimoto, Petchtanong Hints at Future Plans After Win at One Friday Fights 68

Former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Petchtanong Petchfergus silenced his doubters last week with a TKO victory over Alaverdi Ramazanov at ONE Friday Fights 68. After a year-long suspension, Petchtanong proved his skills were still sharp as he won decisively against a fellow former divisional king.

In his post-fight interview at ONE Friday Fights 68, Petchtanong didn’t shy away from expressing his thoughts on potential future matchups with Jonathan Haggerty and Hiroki Akimoto.

Petchtanong teases plans after ONE Friday Fights 68 win

At 38 years old, kickboxing veteran Petchtanong shows no signs of slowing down. In his post-fight interview at ONE Friday Fights 68, when a reporter asked about a potential rematch with former foe Hiroki Akimoto, Petchtanong responded, “Right now, I’m not fixated on Akimoto, but you know, just deep down, I hope that maybe I can get another title shot.”

In response to a reporter’s question about facing ONE two-sport Bantamweight World Champion Jonathan Haggerty, Petchtanong Petchfergus revealed he is not thinking about Haggerty right now. He added, “I am also not fixated on Haggerty. I understand that he’s the current champion, but he’s also very busy. He has competed in Muay Thai, he has competed in kickboxing, and he has also mentioned that he’s going to MMA as well.“

Petchtanong further claimed  “The General’s” fighting queue is very long, and suggested the possibility that by the time he reaches a title shot, Haggerty may no longer be the champion. The fighter emphasized that he is currently more focused on reclaiming his belt, which was stripped from him, not lost to anyone.

While both Jonathan Haggerty and Hiroki Akimoto aren’t currently Petchtanong Petchfergus’ main priorities, the Thai star did hint at a possible future clash with rising divisional contender Wei Rui later in the interview.

Petchtanong eyes future clash with Wei Rui

Buoyed by his recent victory over Alaverdi Ramazanov, veteran Thai fighter Petchtanong Petchfergus sets his sights on the division’s elite. His next target: China’s Wei Rui, the current #1-ranked bantamweight kickboxing contender.

Wei arrived in the world’s largest martial arts organization this past May at ONE Fight Night 22 carrying a 20-fight win streak across various promotions in Asia. In his ONE debut, he defeated former titleholder Hiroki Akimoto to vault himself into the divisional rankings and on Petchtanong’s radar. 

When pressed about who he wants as his next opponent the Superbon Training Camp athlete revealed, “Maybe Wei Rui because he is the number one [fighter] in China, and he seems to be a really good fighter. And I am very interested in fighting the best of the best fighters. I just want to let other people know that I’m also a bit older than other people in my career. I’m doing my best. I still can perform.“

Petchtanong Petchfergus claimed the division’s top prize in his last match but was not able to defend the belt due to his suspension. As such, when news of his return at ONE Friday Fights 68 came out, many doubted his ability to perform after a long layoff. This created pressure for him to face Ramazanov.

The victory over Ramazanov has reignited Petchtanong’s confidence. It will be interesting to see if he can maintain this momentum against the top-ranked contender Wei Rui. Stay tuned for further updates!