By Barry Russell
Singapore based sports media giant, ONE Championship, yesterday announced that Thailand’s WBC Super Flyweight World Champion, Suriyan ‘Srisaket’ Sor Rungvisai will face Mexican title challenger, Iran ‘MagnifiKO’ Diaz on 6th October at the Impact Arena in Bangkok.
The showdown will top the bill at ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, which will have a star-studded supporting cast including former Muay Thai icons, Sagetdao Petpayathai and Petchamorrakot Wor. Sangprapai and female Atomweight sensation, Rika Ishige, all of whom joined the open workout at NKL Promotions Gym.
Srisaket, who has won the WBC Super Flyweight title on two occasions, holds a professional record of 46 wins, 4 losses and one draw, with 41 of his wins coming from knockouts. He famously won the title for the first time in Srisaket, Thailand in 2011 by defeating Mexico’s Thomas Rojas with a unanimous points victory. He won it for the second time in 2017 and has defended it successfully two times so far.
Smiling, though apprehensive in front of the international media pack, the 29-year-old champion stated:
“Thank you all for coming out here today. I am truly grateful for all the support you have shown throughout my career. To be able to represent my country in this sport is a privilege and I will do everything in my power to make my people, my fans proud. Iran Diaz is a worthy opponent. He is strong and determined. But I am confident in my skills and I will bring victory back home. Defending my title in front of my home crowd is very important to me, and I thank ONE Championship for giving me the opportunity. I am proud to showcase the Thai warrior spirit and prove to the world that we are among the very best.
“Performing in Bangkok in front of all the Thai fans, I feel invigorated. This is a huge development in my career and I feel that ONE Championship can help me bring world-class boxing back home to Thailand. I am honored to be in this position and I know millions of fans will be watching, which is why I have to give my best performance. Right now I am in the best condition of my career and I am deep in training so that I can give a good performance on October 6. This is going to be a very exciting fight. See you all at the Impact Arena. I can’t wait to climb into the ring again and showcase my talent in front of the whole world.”
Acknowledging his challenger, Srisaket continued, “While confident, I recognise that Diaz is a strong, skillful and clever fighter and I will need to be at my best to beat him.”
Iran Diaz, 28, is one of the most exciting fighters in boxing-mad Mexico. With professional statistics of 14-2-3, including 6 knockouts, he has beaten former world champions, Heman ‘Tyson’ Marquez and Luis Concepcion.
Looking confident and relaxed Diaz stated:
“This opportunity is a big one for me in my career. I am facing one of the toughest boxers in the world now, pound-for-pound. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is aggressive and strong, but so am I. Mexican boxers are the best in the sport. It’s in our blood and I am proud to represent my country here on the global stage. This is without a doubt the biggest fight in my time as a professional. I have a great team behind me helping me prepare for this. I am coming into the ring in the best shape of my life and I can’t wait to score this huge victory.
“I believe I have enough experience and technical knowledge to deal with his particular style. I have faced very strong opponents in the past and I know how to deal with adversity. I am no stranger being the underdog. But every time I fight, I win over new fans and I prove that I can hang with the best. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is one of the biggest stars in boxing today, and if I can beat him, it will be great for my career. Right now, I’ll return home to continue sharpening my skills for the big fight. I’m working very hard with my team to score this huge upset. I am ready to shock the world on October 6.”
The other fighters present will bring their own blends of mixed martial arts skills and excitement to the ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES event.
Sagetdao “Deadly Star” Petpayathai is 31-year-old a Muay Thai specialist and a four-time Lumpinee Stadium champion who has won every major title in Muay Thai. Voted by Thai media as one of the greatest Muay Thai practitioners in history, Sagetdao is known for his highly technical knowledge in all of Muay Thai’s varied techniques. Concluding his Muay Thai career with a record of 162-62-1, Sagetdao transitioned to mixed martial arts in 2017, acing his first three bouts with flying colors.
Hailing from Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand’s northern Isan region, Petchmorrakot Wor. Sangprapai has already defeated some of the biggest names in Muay Thai, earning multiple accolades in the process. Spurred by his success and proven talent, Petchmorrakot went on to claim the prestigious Lumpinee Stadium World Championship in two divisions, as well as the WMC Muay Thai title, in a career spanning almost 200 professional bouts.
Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige is a 29-year-old female Atomweight from Thailand who trains out of Tiger Muay Thai and Bangkok Fight Lab. She is of mixed Japanese and Thai heritage, beginning her martial arts training at age 9 with aikido and taekwondo. Heavily influenced by her late father who trained in judo, Ishige went on to hone her skills as a martial artist, and turned professional earlier this year. All of Ishige’s victories have ended via impressive finish, showcasing her high-level grappling skills. She is currently one of the most popular martial artists in Thailand and in Asia.
Further updates ahead of the event, including ticketing and the full fight card will be posted Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, as well as on the official website,www.onefc.com.
