‘Fits My Aggressive Kicking Style Perfectly’ – The Story Behind Rungrawee’s Iconic ‘Legatron’ Nickname
Every great fighter has a name. But few nicknames tell a story as precisely as “Legatron.”
It’s not a name Rungrawee Sitsongpeenong chose for himself. It was handed to him by someone with a passion for science fiction movies and a front-row view of one of the most destructive left kicks in the sport. Now, the man from Ubon Ratchathani stands on the doorstep of the biggest night of his career.
Rungrawee faces ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Champion Regian “The Immortal” Eersel on Friday, April 10. Their main event battle airs for members of The Inner Circle on live.onefc.com, with the vacant ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title on the line.
Before one of Thailand’s most experienced strikers writes the next chapter of his story, here is the origin of the name that defines him.
The Son Of A Gym Owner, The Transformer, And The Kick That Started It All
Rungrawee was training at Sitsongpeenong when the son of the gym’s owner, known formally as Timatee Dhammashewa, noticed something in the way the rangy, 5-foot-10 striker threw his left kick.
Timatee happened to be deep into the Transformers franchise at the time. The connection between those devastating legs and the destructive force of a giant robot was impossible to ignore.
Rungrawee said:
“I got the name from the son of my gym boss, Mr. Tim. He saw how powerful my left kick was. At the time, he was into Transformers movies, so he came up with ‘Legatron.’ It’s basically a mashup of ‘Leg’ and ‘Megatron.’ It fits my aggressive kicking style perfectly.”
The timing was not coincidental. Rungrawee was just beginning his journey in ONE, a new stage that demanded a new identity to match.
He said:
“He asked me what I wanted my nickname to be, and I told him, ‘I don’t know, you pick!’ So he chose ‘Legatron.’ That was right when I started fighting in ONE, around early 2023.”
A Name That Fits Like A Glove
Some fighters spend years wrestling with nicknames that never quite match who they are. For Rungrawee, the fit was instant.
When he heard “Legatron” for the first time, something clicked — not because of the mythology behind Megatron, but because it described exactly what he brings into the ring every time he competes.
He said:
“I loved it immediately! It perfectly describes who I am as a fighter — someone with the kicking power of a robot. It’s become my trademark, and it’s how fans recognize me now.”
Across a career spanning 206 fights and 158 victories, “Legatron” has become more than a nickname. It is shorthand for a specific threat, a Thai striker whose legs operate at a frequency that wears opponents down whether they see the kicks coming or not.
He said:
“I don’t feel pressured to kick hard just because of the name. To me, it’s just a cool nickname that fits my identity. The power comes from the training, not the name.”
Built By Legends, Refined By Experience
“Legatron” did not emerge fully formed.
It was built over a decade of deliberate work, shaped by advice from legends and sharpened through an extraordinary volume of competition.
He said:
“I actually started out as a knee fighter. But legends like Saenchai and Khem Sitsongpeenong told me I needed to add kicks to my game, especially for fighting internationally against taller guys. If you only try to clinch, you’ll fall behind on points. Heavy kicks just worked perfectly with my body type, and it’s been a huge advantage ever since.”
The transformation did not happen overnight. It was forged through volume, nearly 30 fights in China alone, where Rungrawee competed in kickboxing and gave his leg kicks the repetitions they needed to become truly elite weapons.
He said:
“About 10 years ago when I started focusing on them. It really developed when I went to fight kickboxing in China. I fought nearly 30 fights there. The more I used my kicks, the more fans started to associate them with me. Now, it’s just part of who I am.”
The Biggest Moment Of His Career
Rungrawee arrives at The Inner Circle on April 10 with a 6-2 ONE record, a three-fight winning streak to begin his promotional career, and a unanimous decision over Youssef Assouik in his most recent outing.
Now, for the first time, he fights for a ONE World Title. Across from him stands Eersel, a six-time ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion and one of the most technically gifted strikers on the planet. The stakes have never been higher.
But the Ubon Ratchathani native is not arriving as an imposter hoping for a miracle. He is arriving as “Legatron,” carrying a nickname that was given to him for exactly this kind of moment.
He said:
“I’m going to go out there and show everyone why I’m called ‘Legatron.’ Whether those kicks are enough to win the [ONE] World Title, we’ll see on fight night. But I promise I’m going to give it everything I’ve got and leave a performance that no one will forget.”
