Sitthichai admits concern about Davit Kiria’s "deadly" punch, but remains confident he'll beat his old foe again

Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong is eager to close out his rivalry against Georgian striker Davit Kiria this Friday, January 28.

The Thai dynamo faces off against the Glory kickboxing world champion in a ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix semifinal clash. The bout is set for the main event of ONE: Only the Brave.

He's confident he'll earn a third win over the Tiblisi native. However, he reckons he'll have to keep his eye on his rival’s most dangerous weapon if he wants to leave the Singapore Indoor Stadium with his hand raised and keep his dream of ONE gold alive.

Sitthichai told ONE:

“My game plan is to stay away from him. I won’t risk fighting him in close distance because his punch is deadly and he is very good with close-distance combat... My motivation is to be the champion. Put simply, I want to be a World Grand Prix Champion this year. Because this is a big global event, it will be a great pride and honor in my career.”

Sitthichai has knocked Kiria out once before. Although he only registered a decision win against his old foe in their rematch, he is eager to bury the rivalry once and for all on Friday.

He had a final message for his opposite man ahead of their bout:

“Tell Davit from me: This is our third date and I will beat you again because my next goal is the ONE world championship. So, I’ll move on from you. Let’s finish our business here... For our third clash, I think the result will be no different from the first two because I’m used to his style very well, and I think I’ll definitely beat him again.”

---

Sitthichai views the Grand Prix as the "biggest event" of his life

The Thai striker has competed across various circuits and promotions worldwide. However, he believes that none of them can match his short yet exciting run in ONE Super Series.

On his debut, Sitthichai engaged in a thrilling three-round war against longtime rival Superbon. He suffered a defeat to the recently crowned ONE Featherweight kickboxing world champion in 2020, but that didn't stop him from dishing out some memorable fights last year.

Following that loss, he took home an important victory against Tawanchai PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym. He then earned his spot in the last four of the Grand Prix in a back-and-forth classic against Tayfun Ozcan.

Every fight in ONE Super Series is an exciting affair and Sitthichai is more than happy to take on bigger names as long as it puts him closer to the world title.

“I’m getting older, so I want a title from a big event again in my career. I think this World Grand Prix is the biggest event of my life."

Tune in to ONE: Only the Brave this Friday to see the action unfold.