Former ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title challenger “The Warrior” Wang Junguang made a triumphant return to the global stage after a six-year absence, claiming a monumental split-decision upset over reigning ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Prajanchai Pongsuphan PK in the strawweight kickboxing main event of The Inner Circle 35.
Broadcast live in Asia primetime exclusively for subscribers of The Inner Circle via live.onefc.com on Friday, October 16, from Bangkok’s historic Lumpinee Stadium, the marquee clash delivered fireworks from bell to bell.
Stepping back into the world’s largest martial arts organization determined to make an immediate impact, Wang came out firing from the opening exchange.
His unorthodox footwork and stinging lead-leg teeps instantly pushed Prajanchai toward the ropes. The Thai champion answered with a crushing left body kick set up by doubled-up jabs, but Wang relentlessly charged forward with a blistering four-punch combination, repeatedly taunting his foe to get under the former two-sport king’s skin.
Prajanchai maintained his veteran composure in the second canto, leaning on volume-heavy left hands and punishing body kicks. Unfazed, Wang crashed a powerful overhand past the guard and pressed the action even harder, driving the Thai superstar back to mid-range with a vicious cross combination. Prajanchai smartly switched his tactics to close-quarters combat with short uppercuts and sharp hooks, but the defiant Chinese striker just kept marching forward.
Neck and neck heading into the final three minutes, both strikers bit down on their mouthpieces and stuck to their guns.
Wang relentlessly clobbered away with heavy body shots and digging knees, while Prajanchai shelled up and intelligently created distance with sharp straight punches. The PK Saenchai ace absolutely refused to break, matching the sheer aggression of “The Warrior” as he continuously pressed forward until the final horn sounded.
Ultimately, however, Wang’s unyielding aggression and the accumulated damage he inflicted swayed the judges’ scorecards. The split-decision upset pushed the 31-year-old’s professional record to an impressive 31-7 and emphatically announced him as a highly intriguing potential challenger for reigning ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Di Bella.