Sitthichai determined to get back to winning ways at ONE 167
For Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong, the desire to once again feel the sweet taste of victory courses through his veins.
He looks to satiate this urge in his next assignment, which takes place at ONE 167 on Prime Video. There, he goes up against Masaaki Noiri in a featherweight kickboxing bout.
This U.S. primetime card emanates live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7.
The Thai hard-hitter is coming off a heartbreaking loss at the hands of Marat Grigorian this past January.
In that matchup, he sustained his first stoppage defeat since he moved almost exclusively to kickboxing in 2014.
Now, “Killer Kid” is hungrier than ever to prove himself worthy of his place among the division’s elite.
“This fight is very important to me. I need to bounce back to the winner’s side because I want to become one of the best fighters in the world again,” he said.
“This is a great opportunity because [Noiri] is a very famous fighter. If I beat him, I believe I will definitely be able to get redemption and regain my confidence.”
However, standing in his path is no ordinary opponent.
Noiri boasts an impressive pedigree as one of the best strikers to emerge from Japan. Moreover, his accolades include a stellar run as a two-division K-1 World Champion.
But for Sitthichai, the challenge only gives him excitement to throw down with Noiri’s caliber.
“When I was informed that I would be fighting him, I thought, ‘Wow,’ because he will be my first Japanese opponent,” the Sitsongpeenong Muay Thai Camp member said.
“Throughout my career, I never had the opportunity to fight a Japanese fighter. Moreover, he is a Japanese superstar. So that made me even more excited.”
Sitthichai looks to exploit flaws in Masaaki Noiri’s game
In preparation for the upcoming clash, Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong has left no stone unturned.
He has meticulously studied Masaaki Noiri’s techniques, searching for holes that he can exploit in the heat of battle.
“I learned from the two fights he lost to Kaew Fairtex that he’s not good at fighting with southpaws, so I studied Kaew to learn how to fight with him. He is not good at defending himself from left kicks, so you can expect a lot of them from me,” Sitthichai said.
“I can’t tell you how this fight will end. It depends on what happens in the ring, but I will do my best to entertain our fans.”