Yodpanomrung Jitmuangnon’s Journey To ONE Super Series

ONE Super Series will welcome yet another Muay Thai World Champion to its growing ranks at ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES on 22 September.

Six-time Muay Thai World Champion Yodpanomrung “The Lightning Knee” Jitmuangnon will make his debut at the event in Jakarta, where he will take on “The Funky Drummer” Fabrice Fairtex Delannon in a bantamweight Muay Thai bout.

Yodpanomrung has competed in the most iconic Muay Thai venues across Asia, but the opportunity to compete on the ONE Championship stage is a new one the Thai star is excited to take.

“ONE Championship is such a massive platform,” he says.

“I’m excited to showcase my skills to the world.”

Yodpanomrung’s journey in Muay Thai started when, as an 8-year-old, his father decided his son was spending too much time playing video games, and he needed to start taking up a more physical activity.

His father took him to a local Muay Thai gym where, after a month’s training, Yodpanomrung started to show glimpses of the talent that would eventually take him to six Muay Thai world titles.

Competing under the ring name Yokpetch Wor with the nickname “Bok”, Yodpanomrung won his first bout by knockout, and then travelled around central Thailand, looking for bouts to build his experience, often returning home in the early hours of the morning before he had to up early up for school.

“It was like that for many years,” he says.

“It was tough, but the love of the sport kept me going.”

He eventually joined the Sor Tawanrung gym in Bang Kapi and had his first bout in the famous Rajadamnern Stadium.

During his decade-long association with the gym, he competed multiple times each month and won an Omnoi Stadium title and a WMPF title.

After he finished high school, Yodpanomrung’s contract was bought out by prominent gym and promoter Jitmuangnon.

That propelled Yodpanomrung’s career to the next level, as his training intensified and his skills increased.

Training at the team’s gym in Nonthaburi, he went on to win four more titles, including titles in two weight classes at the Channel 7 Stadium, the Thailand Title and a WMC World Title.

His skills led him to be regarded as a Muay-Saen – a competitor who earns more than 100,000 baht (around USD$3,060) per bout.

Now his skills will be on show for the martial arts world as he makes his ONE Championship debut in ONE Super Series, where his bout with Delannon looks set to light up the Jakarta Convention Center on 22 September.

“I’m really excited for this opportunity. I will not disappoint,” he says.

“At only 24 years of age, I have a huge future with ONE ahead of me.”