Panpayak Jitmuangnon’s incredible finish of Savvas Michael wins 2022 Muay Thai KO of the Year

Panpayak Jitmuangnon earned a booming lead hook-head kick combination knockout against Cypriot athlete Savvas Michael at ONE on Prime Video 1 earlier this year. This result has now been awarded the honor of being ONE’s 2022 Muay Thai Knockout of the Year.

'The Angel Warrior' Panpayak was brought into this fight on short notice to fill in for his training partner, Rodtang Jitmuangnon. With minimal time to prepare, the Thai fighter did his best to get ready to battle in the semifinals of the ONE flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix. Michael had defeated Amir Naseri to earn his place in the tournament semifinals.

In the opening moments of round two, Panpayak put together a career-defining highlight-reel knockout. A thunderous lead hook stunned Michael and the Thai athlete followed it up with a head kick to finish the fight. This knockout proved why 'The Angel Warrior' is such a rightly feared striker.

See the full fight below:

"An incredible knockout closed out the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix semifinal matchup between Cypriot striking ace Savvas Michael and Thai sensation Panpayak Jitmuangnon at ONE on Prime Video 1!"

---

Panpayak Jitmuangnon idolozies Nong-O Gaiyanghadao

Panpayak Jitmuangnon explained earlier this year how much he looks up to and is inspired by ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao.

In an interview with ONE Championship, the Thai-born athlete explained:

“[Nong-O Gaiyanghadao] is my idol for both work and life. He told me about his experiences when he first came to Singapore. He had nothing at that time. But with determination and perseverance, he achieved the great success he has today. I have learned a lot from him.”

Muay Thai great Nong-O is on a world championship win streak in the ONE circle. He will look to add a seventh title defense as he battles Alaverdi Ramazanov at ONE Lumpinee 1, which is booked for Friday, January 20.

The Muay Thai world champion will be returning to his roots as he will be fighting in Bangkok, Thailand, for the first time in years. Nong-O will look to make it a triumphant bout, but standing in his way is former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Ramazanov.

Panpayak said that Nong-O is a challenging fight for any Muay Thai striker in the world. He explained:

"Nong-O is now at perfection in all aspects.”