‘Family Is My Driving Force’ – Kickboxing Phenom Zhang Peimian Motivated By Chance To Repay His Parents

When “Fighting Rooster” Zhang Peimian enters the ring against Rui Botelho at ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade on Prime Video, he’ll be competing with his loved ones in mind.

Despite just turning 20 on Monday, the Chinese standout desperately wants to use his kickboxing career to provide a better life for his mother and father, meaning a victory is crucial on Friday, November 3.

Zhang’s parents never had much, but they always made sure their three children were safe and loved – something he will never forget.

Speaking ahead of his outing at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, “Fighting Rooster” explained:

“I was born in a peasant family in a small village in Hepu, Guangxi, but I have a lovely family. I look back on my childhood fondly because my family gave me lots of love.”

Now that he’s risen to the world’s largest martial arts organization, Zhang wants to give back to his mother and father for enduring the back-breaking work that put a roof over his head and food on his plate.

If he can work his way back to a ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title shot and claim the crown, he knows he can finally make his family financially secure.

It’s a big ask for such a young man, but his first battle against reigning king Jonathan Di Bella was razor-close, and he’ll do anything for another chance to compete for the life-changing belt.

Zhang said:

“I have had a strong sense of family since my childhood under the influence of my parents. So, I knew that whenever I had the ability, I needed to improve my family’s environment.

“Family is my driving force. As long as I succeed, I will repay my parents.”

Zhang Peimian’s Parents Showed Him The Value Of Hard Work

Zhang Peimian’s mother and father provided the sustenance for their son’s upbringing, and in doing so, they paved the way for him to succeed in martial arts.

The attributes he learned from them were the same ones he needed to thrive in the tough sport of kickboxing, and although his childhood wasn’t easy, it was character-building for the young “Fighting Rooster.”

He recalled:

“The best qualities I learned from my parents were hard work and responsibility.

“From having to do manual farm work when I was young, I learned that if you want to do something, you need to persist in it, no matter how hard it is.”

Other people raised in poverty could look back and resent their situation, but Zhang is thankful for what he did have rather than what he didn’t.

In fact, he thinks that upbringing is another reason why he’s been able to make the most of the hand he was dealt.

He added:

“We need to know how to be grateful for what we have. I think people who don’t know how to be grateful can’t go far.”

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