Panpayak Jitmuangnon sleeps Savvas Michael, moves to Grand Prix final

Panpayak Jitmuangnon is headed to the final of the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix following his spectacular knockout of Savvas Michael at ONE on Prime Video 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The two fighters started out in typical Muay Thai fashion, where fighters slowly gauged each other out. Michael was content playing off of what Panpayak was throwing and tried to launch whatever counter he saw fit.

It was in the second round where Panpayak, who took the fight on short notice, flipped the switch and channeled his inner Rodtang.

Panpayak baited Michael with a well-timed right hook and quickly exploded with a fight-ending left roundhouse kick that sent the Cypriot fighter into a painful slumber 10 seconds into the second round.

The win set up 'The Angel Warrior' for a match against No.1-ranked contender Superlek Kiatmoo9 in the final of the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix in what will be the eighth match between the two Thai phenoms.

Panpayak also became the third fighter on the card to receive a $50,000 performance bonus from ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

---

Panpayak Jitmuangnon thanks Nong-O Gaiyanghadao for helping him prepare

The adage “iron sharpens iron” is often thrown around in the world of martial arts, and that rang mighty true in the case of Panpayak Jitmuangnon.

Panpayak trained at Evolve MMA heading into his fight against Michael and received guidance from ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, a fighter many consider to be among the greatest of his generation.

During his post-fight interview with Mitch Chilson, Panpayak thanked Nong-O for the world championship-level teaching that only a legend in the sport could impart.

Panpayak Jitmuangnon said:

“First of all I’ve been trained to do this and I would like to thank Evolve MMA for giving me the training and making me better. I thank Nong-O for supporting me along the way.”

As for his stunning knockout finish and overall development as a fighter, 'The Angel Warrior' said he wanted to expand his arsenal and be known as a fighter who doesn’t rely on just one strike to finish his opponents off.

“I wanted to change myself because I don’t want people to think of me as someone who just uses a left kick, a left kick, and another left kick.”