‘I’m Aiming For An Early Finish’ – Mongkoldetlek Revved Up To Hunt For The Spectacular At The Inner Circle 29

Former Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Mongkoldetlek Por Pim-on has reintroduced his fiery brand of striking to the global stage with great success, and he is ready to do it again at The Inner Circle 29.

The 31-year-old Thai faces promotional newcomer Yassir “Salvador” Rassafi in a co-main event bantamweight Muay Thai clash in Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, September 4. The Asia primetime card will be available exclusively to members at live.onefc.com.

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A third straight win would push Mongkoldetlek firmly into the conversation for the coveted US$100,000 main roster contract, a target he has had his eyes on since returning to the ONE stage.

He kicked off his second stint in the promotion with a unanimous decision win over Ruslan Tuktarov at ONE Friday Fights 156 this past May. Two months later, he stopped Utkirzhon Khamidov with a barrage of knees in the clinch at ONE Friday Fights 163.

However, stepping back into that environment for the first time in a while came with its own set of emotions. 

Mongkoldetlek said:

“Heading into that first fight back, I felt a little nervous because I’d been away for so long. The atmosphere felt totally different compared to my early days in ONE. It was incredible. Riding a two-fight win streak back in the promotion has given me a massive confidence boost.

“My body is starting to get back into rhythm, and my focus right now is to keep building momentum, stacking wins, and ultimately earning my spot back on the main ONE Championship cards.”

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Before his time away, Mongkoldetlek enjoyed a 4-1 record in the world’s largest martial arts organization – a run that featured explosive battles against now-reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty and former strawweight Muay Thai king Joseph “The Hurricane” Lasiri.

The Por Pim-on athlete has wasted no time regaining his footing since returning. Now he wants to add a third straight win to that tally, and he already has a specific outcome in mind for how he gets there.

The Thai continued:

“I’m aiming for an early finish because I want to hunt for that bonus like everyone else. I get that money, it goes straight to supporting my family. But overall, the main goal is to keep building momentum and force my way back onto the main ONE stage.”

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Despite that buzzing confidence, the Thai is not overlooking Rassafi, who steps in for his promotional debut at The Inner Circle 29.

The 31-year-old has gotten a good look at what the Petchsaman Gym representative brings into the fight, breaking down exactly where the danger lies and how he intends to shut it down.

Mongkoldetlek said:

“Yassir is solid with his hands, but I’ve already got a game plan ready to dismantle that. His other strikes don’t worry me as much. He’s also quite tall, but I’ve fought plenty of taller guys before, so I’m not really worried about it.

“It all comes down to fighting smart to neutralize that reach gap. I feel much better physically since I’m moving up to 140 pounds for this fight. I’m ready to go toe-to-toe with him in the center of the ring.”

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Mongkoldetlek Maps Out His Path To Victory, Talks What’s Next

Winning this bantamweight Muay Thai clash at The Inner Circle 29 is only half the equation for Mongkoldetlek Por Pim-on. 

How he gets there matters just as much, and he already has a clear approach in mind for how he intends to get things underway inside the mecca of Muay Thai this Friday.

He said:

“I’ll need to test the waters in round one to see what weaknesses Yassir reveals. No matter how much tape you watch, nothing compares to feeling a fighter’s presence live in the ring. You have to adapt right then and there.

“Having already competed under the ONE banner gives me an extra layer of confidence. As long as my conditioning is on point, the results will speak for themselves.”

Looking further down the road, Mongkoldetlek has given plenty of thought to who could await him next.

At 31, some fighters start to wonder how much time they have left to chase the top of a division. The Por Pim-on warrior does not sound like one of them. He remains open to whoever the matchmakers put in front of him.

He said:

“I’m ready for anyone the promotion sets up. Once I get back to the main ONE stage, I’ll re-evaluate my body to see which weight class fits me best long-term. Right now, I just want to shake off the ring rust and get back into peak rhythm.

“The most critical thing now that I’ve passed the age of 30 is maintaining my body so I can prolong my career and hit every goal I’ve set for myself.”

Source: ONE Championship