“Fighting Rooster” Zhang Peimian is eager to notch up another victory and prove he’s the top contender in the strawweight kickboxing division.
On November 3, the 20-year-old Chinese phenom will face Rui Botelho at ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade on Prime Video, and he’s deep in preparation for a tough battle against the Portuguese veteran.
Zhang picked up a dominant win over Torepchi Dongak at ONE Fight Night 8 in March to rebound from his ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title loss to Jonathan Di Bella last October.
Now, he wants to build a winning streak that carries him back to the gold, starting with his next assignment at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
“Fighting Rooster” told onefc.com:
“I was so excited when I received the offer because [I am eager to fight again]. I’m preparing for the fight right now. I have been doing lots of training to improve myself.”
For his part, Botelho has competed in ONE seven times, going the distance with the likes of Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Panpayak Jitmuangnon at flyweight.
Now fighting at strawweight, the 28-year-old appears more suited to the lighter weight class and is getting plenty of respect from his upcoming foe.
Zhang said:
“I don’t know him very well, but I watched some videos of his previous contests after receiving the offer.
“He is older and more mature than me. He has good technique, and his previous opponents were very good. In addition, he has a weight and height advantage over me.”
At the same time, Zhang’s intensity and furious pace will be a fresh test for Botelho.
With that in mind, the Shengli Fight Club representative thinks speed will be his biggest asset in this matchup:
“Our styles are very different. I’ll be faster than him, and I’ll control the game with high-frequency striking.”
Zhang Peimian ‘Desperate’ For Another Shot At Jonathan Di Bella
Every opponent offers up excitement for Zhang Peimian, but he’s most motivated by an overarching goal.
“Fighting Rooster” wants another shot at Jonathan Di Bella in order to right the wrongs of their first ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title showdown. In that encounter, Zhang looked set for a decision victory until suffering a last-minute knockdown at the hands of the Italian-Canadian.
While he won’t look past Botelho on November 3, “Fighting Rooster” is also fueled by the desire to one day wrap the belt around his waist:
“Every fighter wants to win their match, and I’ll try my best.
“I’m desperate to have the World Title fight, but right now I’m more focused on ONE Fight Night 16. After I win, we’ll see what happens.”
