Panpayak “The Angel Warrior” Jitmuangnon accepts his role as the measuring stick for undefeated Russian prospect Asadula Imangazaliev. The veteran striker plans to discover whether the knockout artist can handle elite-level punishment.
The Thai faces Imangazaliev in the main event of ONE Friday Fights 122 on August 29 inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. The flyweight Muay Thai clash streams live in Asia primetime as the 250-win veteran tests the 9-0 Russian’s credentials.
Panpayak immediately accepted this challenging matchup when ONE Championship presented the opportunity. The former Lumpinee Stadium and Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion never avoids difficult assignments regardless of opponent credentials.
Imangazaliev brings a terrifying finishing record into their headline encounter. The Dagestani has ended four of his five ONE Friday Fights victories inside the distance with an average fight time exceeding three minutes.
The 29-year-old Thai fighter studied his opponent’s previous performances and identified potential weaknesses to exploit. Panpayak believes Imangazaliev’s impressive record includes a critical flaw that power punching can expose.
Size and reach advantages favor the undefeated Russian challenger. Panpayak acknowledges he’s never faced an opponent with such physical dimensions during his lengthy career spanning Thailand’s most prestigious venues.
“When ONE offered me this fight against Asadula, I immediately accepted the fight. I’ve never been a picky person. I’m ready to fight anyone ONE Championship puts in front of me,” Panpayak said.
“Asadula is an aggressive fighter with a variety of weapons. But I think his weakness is that he hasn’t been hit by a heavy weapon yet, so his durability might not be great.”