‘Feel Free To Try Me Out’ – Muangthai Claps Back At Confident Kuzmin
Bantamweight Muay Thai star Muangthai PK.Saenchai had a terse response for Vladimir Kuzmin after the Russian expressed confidence for their upcoming matchup on July 22.
In a recent interview, Kuzmin described “Elbow Zombie” as a predictable striker and an athlete who doesn’t bring anything special to the global stage.
The Thai acknowledges that he won’t have many new tricks under his sleeve, but he still believes his strong foundation and trademark weapons will propel him to victory at ONE 159: De Ridder vs. Bigdash.
Muangthai said:
“Feel free to try me out. I always fight with the same style and won many times. At ONE, I also got three [victories] with my same old style.
“Let’s prove if I am exactly what he said. Now, I am confident that I am back to my best version. And, I can tell that his strikes would be just scratches for me.”
Muangthai has certainly achieved great success with his striking arsenal.
The 28-year-old is a Lumpinee Muay Thai World Champion, owns a stellar 200-43-4 professional record, and has earned victories over fellow ONE Championship stars Panpayak Jitmuangnon, Kulabdam Sor. Jor. Piek Uthai, and Mongkolpetch Petchyindee on the famed Bangkok stadium circuit.
He’s also displayed strong offensive and defensive skills in ONE, scoring decision wins over Panicos Yusuf, Kenta Yamada, and former World Title challenger Brice Delval.
Now, the Thai is looking to rebound from a wild defeat to Liam Harrison, but while he expects to emerge victorious, he refuses to overlook his rival.
Muangthai stated:
“This is another challenging fight for me because [Kuzmin] is a tough opponent. This is probably my first fight against a Russian. He is fast and has a wide variety of weapons in his arsenal.
“For his weakness, I think his defense is not quite strong, and his strikes are not that heavy. The only thing I have to be careful of is his agility.”
Only time will tell whether Muangthai can take out Kuzmin at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
But in an ideal world, the Thai star wants to leave the Circle with a knockout and remind his foe why he’s known as “Elbow Zombie.”
He warned:
“I plan to finish him with my sharp elbows if I have a chance to get close to him. Let’s wait and see.”
Muangthai Motivated To Win Gold, Support Family
Muangthai PK.Saenchai wants to position himself as the next challenger for Liam Harrison or Nong-O Gaiyanghadao before those strikers clash for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title at ONE 161: Moraes vs. Johnson II on August 26.
A victory over Vladimir Kuzmin at ONE 159 would certainly put “Elbow Zombie” closer to that goal, but it’s not the only reason he’s motivated to showcase his skills on July 22.
The Buriram native also hopes to build a dream home for his family in Thailand, and he knows that a bonus check would go a long way.
He shared:
“One of them is the performance bonus. But most importantly, I dream of being a challenger for the belt in the future. You know, I lost once. This time, I need to win.
“If I get US$50,000 in bonus money, I will add it to my savings and build a house for my wife and my child. I already have a land, but no house. Nowadays, we live with my parents. My wife always dreams to own a house for our family.”
