‘I Will Fight Until The End’ – After Dominant ONE Fight Night 8 Win, Zhang Peimian Primed For World Title Rematch
Former ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title challenger Zhang Peimian is back in the win column after picking up an entertaining unanimous decision over promotional newcomer Torepchi Dongak at ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video.
The 19-year-old put on a show on Friday, 24 March, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, drowning his opponent with constant aggression and battering him with thunderous punch combinations throughout their strawweight kickboxing affair.
Simply put, Zhang fired on all cylinders and reminded fans why he’s the division’s most feared contender.
Despite “Fighting Rooster’s” pinpoint striking, Dongak gamely survived all three rounds and even landed several big shots of his own.
While some pundits may have been surprised to see the ONE debutant hold up under such offensive output, Zhang expected a tough and gritty fight against the Russian.
According to him, he couldn’t afford to take his foot off the gas pedal for a single moment.
Zhang said:
“I knew my opponent’s progression, and all Russian styles are like that. They will fight until the end. So before the fight, my coach told me I could not step back, so I kept pushing forward.”
In his last outing, the Chinese star battled Jonathan Di Bella for the vacant ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title, suffering a last-minute head-kick knockdown to seal the decision in his foe’s favor.
As disappointing as that defeat was, it motivated Zhang to quickly return to the gym and hone his prodigious talents – and the benefits of that training certainly showed on Friday night.
He added:
“The last time I lost the belt, I was nervous, so I felt very sad and sorry. But after that, I trained a lot and practiced a lot. This year I have confidence in [me and my team].”
Zhang Peimian Won’t Make The Same Mistake Twice Against Jonathan Di Bella
Naturally, Zhang Peimian is already targeting a World Title rematch against Jonathan Di Bella. Their 2022 battle was one of the best fights of the year, an unforgettable classic.
But this time around, if the rematch happens, “Fighting Rooster” won’t take any chances or try to cruise toward victory.
Instead, he plans to fight just as he did against Torepchi Dongak – with furious aggression from start to finish.
Zhang said:
“In the next fight, I’m going to be calmer, and I will fight until the end. Because last time I thought I won and was losing in the last two rounds. So this time, I learned from that. I will fight until the end.”
Zhang is ready to return to the Circle and once again go to war for strawweight kickboxing gold.
If and when that happens, the teenager knows he’ll be fighting for much more than just himself. He’ll be representing his country and aiming for a place in the history books.
Zhang said:
“If I got the belt, it would be the first ONE kickboxing belt for China. So I will get it for China and be China’s youngest World Champion.”
