Petch seeks title-winning Glory in New York
Local hope Petchpanomrung (Petch) Kiatmookao will take on American kick-boxer Kevin Vannostrand for the interim featherweight title at a GLORY 55 event in New York tomorrow night.
Petch is one of the elite Thai fighters competing in GLOR, a kickboxing promotion company, and has a professional record of 159-36-2 (27 KOs).
A soldier in the Royal Thai Army, Petch is a former Muay Thai champion and has earned this title shot after an impressive second-round knock-out win over Abdellah Ezbiri in Lille, France in May.
Petch’s goal in New York will be to join fellow-Thai Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong as a GLORY lightweight champion. He is also dedicating the fight to the Wild Boars football team who were famously rescued after being trapped in a Chiang Rai cave more than two weeks.
“People think it takes a lot of courage to step in to the ring for a fight but it is nothing compared to what the 12 footballers, their coach and the Navy Seals and all the families involved have been through,” said Petchpanomrung.
“It is for me a true inspiration and it gives me strength and motivation to step into the ring for my country.”
Also in action on the same bill is Victor Pinto, who will be fighting against the American Nate Richardson.
Pinto is a French national who has made Thailand his home for almost of his life and who is one of the world’s elite Muay Thai fighters.
GLORY combines the best of all martial arts styles led by Muay Thai but also including karate, boxing, kung fu, capoeira and tae kwan do.
14 events are held around the world each year in 7 weight classes with a transparent world ranking system.
GLORY has several Thai fighters currently under contract, both male and female.
A replay of the Glory 55 event can be seen on PPTV (Channel 36) on Sunday at 10pm.
