‘I Need To Take Some Risks’ – Panpadej And Khunpon Chase Redemption In ONE Friday Fights 166 Main Event
Every setback tells a story, and the main event of ONE Friday Fights 166 features two young warriors with plenty to say.
Panpadej Looksuan and Khunpon Aekmuangnon meet in the headline attraction at Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium this Friday, August 14, and while they arrive on separate journeys, the destination they are both chasing is identical: a life-changing US$100,000 contract and a coveted spot on ONE Championship’s global roster.
Neither man is walking into this flyweight Muay Thai contest with a perfect record or unmatched confidence. Both have tasted defeat in the recent months and had to sit with it, reflect on it, and find a way to turn that pain into purpose. And at ONE Friday Fights 166, fans will see whose purpose has become stronger.
Panpadej: Hungry, Prepared, And Ready To Climb Back
There was a time when Panpadej Looksuan looked unstoppable at ONE Friday Fights. The 24-year-old Thai standout opened his promotional campaign with five consecutive victories, establishing himself as a future flyweight Muay Thai contender along the way.
Then came the rough patch. Two consecutive losses – a unanimous decision to Ubaid Hussain in April and a split decision to Chartpayak Saksatoon in June that could have gone either way – have temporarily stalled his momentum. The latter loss, in particular, still weighs on him.
Panpadej confessed:
“I lost to Chartpayak in my last fight, and it’s still bugging me. I really want that rematch.”
But before that rematch becomes a possibility, he must first get past a challenging opponent.
Standing across from him is Khunpon Aekmuangnon, a 20-year-old with a two-inch height advantage and a dangerous skill set that demands respect. Panpadej has never faced a fighter that much taller before, so the veteran and his coach, Kru Fahsai, at Looksuan Muay Thai Camp in Bangkok have approached the bout with meticulous preparation.
The pair reviewed footage to build a blueprint for success. Kru Fahsai pointed Panpadej toward two key matches – Superlek‘s June 2023 knockout of the towering Nabil Anane, where a well-placed body shot brought the 6-foot-4 phenom crashing down, and Suakim PongSuphan PK‘s three-round victory over the same man just last weekend. Both battles offered valuable lessons on navigating a significant height disadvantage and finding opportunities at close range.
Panpadej said:
“Khunpon is tall and very skilled. I’ve never fought a fighter this tall before, so I’m relying on Kru Fahsai to help me build a game plan.
“He told me to study the tape of the fight that Superlek defeated Nabil. As we saw in his last fight against Isannuea, he doesn’t handle body shots too well.”
That assessment has shaped every training session in camp.
The plan is to take calculated risks, close the distance with purpose, and target the body with a disciplined combination of kicks, punches, and elbows. Their idea is to keep chipping away until the openings present themselves.
Panpadej said:
“In this fight, I have to take some risks to get inside. Go to the body, head, and chop at his legs. [I need to throw] low kicks, teeps to the body, and maybe a few elbows here and there.
”I’m not worried at all. I just need to make sure I don’t get careless because I’ve done plenty of homework for this.”
Khunpon: Recharged, Rebuilt, And Ready To Return
Khunpon Aekmuangnon had been one of the most promising young talents since making his ONE Friday Fights debut in June 2025. Four straight victories announced him as a star on the rise and had fans paying close attention.
Then, in April, Isannuea Sor Sasiwat stopped him in the first round with a well-placed body shot. In an instant, everything changed. The loss knocked the 20-year-old Thai off his trajectory and left him needing to regroup in more ways than one.
Rather than rush back into camp immediately, Khunpon returned home to his family and allowed himself to decompress. The time away from the gym proved just as important as the time inside it. After all, reconnecting with his loved ones reminded him of exactly why he fights and reignited the hunger that had carried him through his winning run.
Back in fight camp at Petchnumnoi Gym in Phuket, Khunpon has addressed the specific vulnerability that Isannuea exposed and capitalized on.
He has worked relentlessly on strengthening his midsection, even inviting training partners to target his body during sparring sessions to build both conditioning and resilience.
Khunpon said:
“I’ve been working on my weaknesses, especially building up my body and midsection. I’ve been strengthening my own body.”
Khunpon has also turned his attention to Panpadej, studying the 24-year-old’s game carefully and identifying both the holes to exploit and the dangers that come along with it.
The Petchnumnoi Gym product respects what his compatriot brings to the table. After all, he’s a technically sharp striker with fast hands and tremendous kicking power.
That said, Khunpon believes he has found the path to victory:
“He’s well-rounded with strong right kicks and left punches. Weaknesses are tough to find with him, but he doesn’t handle punches to the head very well.
“I need to kick the body and target the head with punches. I have to get inside and stay close to him. If I’m slow at range, he’ll catch me because his hands are really fast.”
It is a game plan that mirrors Panpadej’s in its core principle – close the distance, work the inside, and impose a relentless pace.
When two fighters step into the ring with similar strategies and very different weapons, the result is usually something worth watching. And with a chance to claw back toward the life-changing contract and global roster spot, neither man intends to waste it.
