Zhang Peimian wants immediate rematch with Rui Botelho after razor-close split decision loss at ONE Fight Night 16

‘Fighting Rooster’ Zhang Peimian is not pleased by the outcome of his recent clash with Rui Botelho. However, the Chinese superstar isn’t crying foul over things of the past.

The former ONE strawweight kickboxing world title challenger went the distance with Portuguese fighter and ONE veteran Rui Botelho at ONE Fight Night 16 last Friday, November 3, in a fight of two tales.

Zhang Peimian dominated the early exchanges of the contest with his hard punch-kick combinations that flattened Botelho for large periods.

However, the Portuguese striker turned the tide at the midway point of the second round to the third, where he had the young phenom in his pocket via his simple yet effective one-two combinations.

In the end, two of the three judges at ringside were convinced that the Dinamite Team affiliate had done enough to leave the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, with his hand raised.

With the upset, many expect Botelho to have an outright chance at Jonathan Di Bella’s strawweight gold. However, Zhang Peimian isn’t buying that sentiment one bit.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post after his defeat, the Shengli Fight Club martial artist said:

“I don’t think he’s a qualified title challenger. So I want to rematch him as soon as possible. Anytime.”

Watch the interview here:

Zhang, of course, has a far better winning ratio than the Portuguese athlete on the global stage of ONE Championship.

And being a former title challenger, the Road to ONE winner believes he deserves a rematch and another attempt at the divisional strap, should he come out the victor in a hypothetical rematch versus Botelho.

ONE Fight Night 16 is available to watch via replay for Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America. The global fanbase can relive the entire card via ONE Championship’s YouTube channel or the ONE Super App.