‘Dangerous, Fast, And Scary’ – Prajanchai Bracing For Tough Test In Wang Junguang At The Inner Circle 35
Twelve months on the sidelines, and one epic main event to make up for lost time. ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Prajanchai Pongsuphan PK is back.
The Thai star returns against former ONE World Title challenger Wang “The Warrior” Junguang in a strawweight kickboxing matchup at The Inner Circle 35. Their headlining clash and the rest of the card streams exclusively for subscribers via live.onefc.com from Bangkok’s historic Lumpinee Stadium this Friday, October 16.
Prajanchai has been out of the spotlight since a unanimous decision loss to Jonathan Di Bella in their ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title unification rematch at ONE Fight Night 36 in October last year.
Before that setback, the PK Saenchai Muaythaigym standout was on a 6-0 tear that included a win over Di Bella and emphatic knockouts of Sam-A Gaiyanghadao and Joseph Lasiri.
For a 344-win veteran who has competed for most of his life, the road back to full fitness proved long and demanding, yet the 32-year-old never lost sight of the finish line.
Prajanchai told onefc.com:
“During the time I was away, I kept training the whole time. But right when we didn’t have any fights lined up yet, it coincided with the timing of my finger surgery. Once fights started getting booked again, it meant I had to rest for an even longer period. But I’m completely healed now. The injury is fully healed now.”
With his injury woes behind him and his camp in full swing, he moved on to the next order of business – sizing up the man standing in the way of a triumphant return.
Wang is determined to build a memorable second chapter on martial arts’ grandest stage. With a 30-7 record, the 31-year-old has the perfect opportunity to announce his return against a former two-sport king. Prajanchai, for his part, has done his homework.
The 32-year-old Thai said:
“I did check out Wang Junguang’s old clips. I watched his fight against Sam-A. A lot of people think it’s an easy win for me. In reality, that’s not true at all.
“He is a dangerous, fast, and scary fighter. He is definitely no easy [opponent]. On a scale of one to ten for difficulty, I’d give it an eight. Everyone else might think it’s easy, but it’s not going to be easy.”
Part of that respect comes down to the rule set. Wang has spent the bulk of his career in kickboxing, and he will be looking to make that experience count in the Thai capital.
Prajanchai, however, is no stranger to the format, having once reigned as the ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion himself.
Still, for all his eagerness to get his hand raised at The Inner Circle 35, the year away gave the Thai superstar a newfound appreciation for the magic of fight night in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
He said:
“I’ve prepared everything – punches, kicks, knees – to deal with Wang Junguang. We’ll just have to see how it plays out. Win or lose, that’s just the nature of the sport.
“Above all, while I was away, I really missed the atmosphere in the boxing ring. I miss hearing the fans shouting my name.”
Prajanchai Weighs In On Aliff World Title Unification
The Inner Circle 35 has Prajanchai Pongsuphan PK’s full attention, but what fans want next is a ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title unification against interim titleholder Aliff Sor Dechapan.
Ring rust, however, is real, and the Thai striking maestro has a clear reason for taking a kickboxing detour first.
He said:
“The reason I decided to do kickboxing first is that if you take a whole year off and come back to fight someone who has been actively competing, there is no way you can win, even if you’re a genius or a God-tier fighter.
“I want to test my physical condition and see if I’m actually ready to defend my title. If I train hard and my physical condition is good, stepping into the ring will be fun, and the fans will enjoy it too.”
Unfortunately, not everyone sees the plan that way. With the unification bout yet to be booked, some have speculated that he is steering clear of the young Thai-Malaysian slugger, who claimed the 26 pounds of gold with a stunning fifth-round knockout of Sam-A.
Rather than let that empty chatter build, he wasted no time setting the record straight.
Prajanchai concluded:
“We will definitely fight. That day has to come eventually. It’s just a matter of when, because nobody knows for sure. It all comes down to destiny and the right time and day, but we will definitely cross paths.”
