Kickboxing prodigy Zhang Peimian made a big first impression in his ONE debut at ONE: Lights Out in March. Facing Josh 'Timebomb' Tonna, Peimian's work against Tonna was nothing short of spectacular.
The Chinese native showed off his incredible speed, landing shots on Tonna's body at will and finally dropping his opponent for good at 2:11 into the second round.
Tiger Muay Thai recently posted a video on YouTube of a sparring session. It featured Zhang Peimian and Saksurin, and came as the former preps for his sophomore appearance in the ONE Circle at ONE 159 on July 22.
"Saksurin and Zhang Peimian sparring @ Tiger Muay Thai"
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Catch the full video below:
Meeting him in the circle on July 22 will be Russia's Aslanbek Zikreev. Also making his second promotional appearance, Zikreev is, like Peimian, 1-0 under the ONE banner, though his last fight for the organization was in November 2020. He defeated Junguang Wang via split decision.
After nearly two years, Russia's Zikreev will have his work cut out for him when he takes on the 18-year-old phenom, who became the first Chinese kickboxer to earn a $50,000 bonus for his masterful performance against Josh Tonna in March.
Zhang Peimian could be 2-3 fights away from a title opportunity
Though he only has one fight in the books for ONE Championship, Peimian could find himself worthy of a title opportunity with two to three more victories in the ONE Circle.
His dominant performance sent shockwaves through the organization. ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong commented on Peimian's potential following his successful debut.
"I believe that Zhang Peimian can become the next superstar, and I am very much looking forward to his next performance."
The victory placed Peimian in the No.4 spot in ONE's strawweight kickboxing rankings. He currently sits behind Wang Junguang, Aslanbek Chikelev and Asdemir Poltsov in the standings. As a result, Peimian could be just a couple of big wins away from title contention.
Following his win at ONE: Lights Out, Peimian discussed his desire to work his way up the rankings, taking on anyone that currently sits above him.
"I am very excited to enter the top four, but I am not satisfied. Four knockouts in two rounds have proved my strength, because I am only 18 years old and growing every day. In China, I am eager to fight, and I believe that in the near future I will win the strawweight challenge! As long as it is ranked ahead of me, I want to fight!"