Zhang Peimian admits he’ll be veering into the unknown in match vs. Rui Botelho: “I don’t know him very well”

At ONE Fight Night 16, Zhang Peimian is set to return to the circle for his fifth appearance since signing with ONE Championship.

Having won his place on the roster via China’s Road to ONE tournament in 2021, there has always been high hopes for “Fighting Rooster.” Through his performances inside the circle, the Chinese competitor has lived up to the hype, proving that he belongs at the top of the strawweight division.

With three victories under his belt, Peimian’s only loss in ONE Championship was to the reigning ONE strawweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Di Bella. At ONE 162 in October last year, the two men went to war for the vacant world title, producing an instant classic and a Fight of the Year contender.

Rebounding from his loss with a win over Torepchi Dongak at ONE Fight Night 8 earlier this year, the 20-year-old competitor is now out to make it back-to-back wins to work his way back to a title shot.

On November 3, at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, Zhang Peimian will face Portugal’s Rui Botelho, who will be hoping to turn his recent fortunes around with a big upset win.

The 28-year-old contender has shared the circle with some of the best strikers that ONE has to offer, and that experience could pay dividends against a young and hungry opponent who will be trying to use him as a launching pad.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Zhang Peimian revealed that he isn’t overly familiar with his opponent but he did do some small level of tape study after taking the fight:

“I don’t know him very well, but I watched some videos of his previous contests after receiving the offer.”

ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade on Prime Video will air live in US primetime free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America.