"The belt of ONE is a belt that everybody wants" - winning ONE world title is the pinnacle for Jimmy Vienot

Jimmy Vienot has already built a respectable resume in his Muay Thai and kickboxing career. However, he knows that there is a championship belt that he has to get if he plans to solidify his legacy.

That title is the ONE featherweight Muay Thai world championship.

Vienot can fulfill his goal if he beats reigning champion Petchmorakot Petchyindee in the main event of their namesake event, ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot, on May 20. The card will be broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The 26-year-old is a five-time world champion, having had success for WBC Muay Thai, Lumpinee Stadium, and World Muay Thai Council.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Vienot said that adding ONE Championship gold to his collection would be his crowning achievement as a fighter.

“The belt of ONE is a belt that everybody wants because there is a lot of notoriety behind it, a lot of recognition, and this is what is missing in this sport. So that’s why people work hard and want to train for this belt at all costs. It’s up to me to take it and to keep it, simply. There is no one who will work harder than me to get what belongs to me.”

A newcomer to ONE Championship, Vienot will have pulled off a seemingly-impossible feat if he beats Petchmorakot in their expected barnburner.

Beating Petchmorakot, however, is easier said than done. The Thai superstar has a record of 164-35-2 and is on a four-fight winning streak.

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Jimmy Vienot’s amateur success built his championship mindset

Jimmy Vienot’s fighting success didn’t just happen at the professional level. The Frenchman was also an accomplished striker in the amateur ranks winning several titles at the level.

His first amateur title was the 2012 World Muay Thai Federation European Junior -67kg championship. Vienot then collected five more gold medals in the International Federation of Muay Thai Associations from 2013 to 2021.

Coupled with his success at the professional level, Vienot remarked that building his title-hungry mindset was one of the most important traits he had in his career.

“I was a champion at a very young age, at 21 years old, and that made me even more determined to win everything on the Muay Thai circuit,” said Vienot.