‘I Trust My Punching Power’ – Watcharaphon Vows To Spoil Akram Hamidi’s Return At ONE Friday Fights 164
· Yahoo Sports
Fear is simply not in Watcharaphon Laochokcharoen‘s vocabulary as he looks to keep his flawless promotional run alive with a sixth consecutive triumph in the main event of ONE Friday Fights 164.
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The heavy-handed Thai warrior goes to war in a high-stakes strawweight Muay Thai matchup against three-time ISKA Kickboxing World Champion Akram “La Pepite” Hamidi inside Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium this Friday, July 31. Their thrilling battle wraps up a double-header Asia primetime weekend for ONE Championship, on the heels of The Inner Circle 24.
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The unblemished ONE record he carries into this main event clash has been built entirely on pure, unadulterated violence. The surging Thai has successfully utilized his ferocious punching power to put four incredibly tough opponents to sleep — three of them inside the very first round — on the global stage.
His most recent outing against Leandro Douglas snapped that finishing streak, but the 33-year-old’s heavy fists remained every bit the threat across nine grueling minutes of sheer dominance. Riding that wave of momentum, the PK Saenchai Muaythaigym affiliate has absolutely no intention of slowing down now.
Watcharaphon said:
“I’m sitting on a five-fight winning streak now, which I’m super proud of. I never expected to come this far. The biggest factor behind my form in ONE Friday Fights has to be my hands. I train my punches hard every single day.
“My main goal right now is to keep my undefeated streak going in the promotion and stay unbeaten for the rest of this year. I’m about 90 percent confident I can make it six wins in a row.”
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That supreme confidence will be put to a genuine test against Hamidi, a highly dangerous striker who insists his extended layoff has only enhanced his world-class arsenal.
Watcharaphon has clearly taken note of that stance, and while he deeply respects what the French-Algerian star brings into the ring, he is not simply taking his opponent’s word for it.
The Thai striker continued:
“Akram is a scary opponent. His punches and kicks are dangerous, and he’s super fast with his in-and-out movement. I need to stay focused and be ready for whatever he throws at me every second.
“But being away for so long might cause him some fatigue. Early on, it’ll probably be a feeling-out process to see what plan he brings to the table. But in my heart, I really want to get back to winning by knockout to get another bonus. I trust my punching power.”
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Beyond the unblemished record and the highlight-reel finishes, this main event also carries life-changing stakes for the 172-win veteran. A definitive triumph could earn him a coveted US$100,000 contract to permanently join the main roster of the world’s largest martial arts organization.
Watcharaphon, for his part, knows he is within touching distance of that lucrative deal. But he refuses to let the pressure consume his focus heading into ONE Friday Fights 164.
He added:
Photo Credit: ONE Championship“Right now, I don’t want to stress too much about getting the contract. I just want to focus on doing my job best right now. But if I do get a ONE contract, I’d be extremely honored and thrilled to fight on the global stage.”
Still Climbing Toward His Peak
Confident as he sounds heading into Friday night, Watcharaphon Laochokcharoen is not quite ready to call this current run the absolute best version of himself just yet.
There will undeniably be even tougher assignments waiting for the Muay Thai technician down the road. Plus, longer winning streaks achieved earlier in his illustrious career have set his internal bar even higher. As such, he firmly believes there is still more room to aggressively climb before he reaches his physical peak.
The 33-year-old told ONE:
“I am on a great run, but I wouldn’t call it my absolute peak just yet, because earlier in my career I used to have seven-fight winning streaks too.
“Right now, what I want to improve most is my physical conditioning. I need to take better care of my body, get stronger, and keep fighting for a long time.”
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Sharpening that elite conditioning has certainly not been a solo mission. Watcharaphon has leaned heavily on the invaluable experience of his PK Saenchai Muaythaigym stablemate, reigning ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Prajanchai PongSuphan PK, who notably defeated Hamidi in September 2023.
Prajanchai — who will look to unify his gold against newly crowned interim king Aliff Sor Dechapan next — has passed that intimate, firsthand knowledge directly on to the man looking to stay perfect on the global stage.
Watcharaphon shared:
Photo Credit: ONE Championship“He advised me to block Akram’s [strikes] well. He said Akram’s strikes might not be super heavy, but he’s incredibly fast. So, for this fight, I’m not taking him lightly at all. I’ll rely on my counter-punches. If I land clean, he can definitely go down.”