Petchpanomrung: The Great Neutralizer
How Petchpanomrung's boxing fundamentals supplement his elite kicking skillset.
Among Thai converts to Kickboxing, southpaw kickers tend to have the smoothest transitions. Clinch fighters need to adapt to a new ruleset devoid of their best weapons, and orthodox strikers lose the main tools they use to counter punchers. But a strong southpaw kicker can leverage his existing Muay Thai skillset to fair success in Kickboxing, as his main weapons remain and distance always proves an effective defense against heavy punches.
But even great southpaw kickers must develop their boxing to excel against the elite. The biggest thing going against Muay Thai converts is that the structure of Muay Thai makes standing against the ropes a strong position, but accepting that position can get them hurt quickly in Kickboxing. Muay Thai’s narrative scoring system sees the fighter in retreat as controlling the bout. This aesthetic preference, as well as the primacy of kicks and knees to the body in Thai scoring means that a fighter with his back against the ropes is generally doing well. Squaring up on the ropes actually makes it difficult for an opponent to land kicks, and that’s what a pursuing fighter will likely be looking for in Muay Thai. Punchers can be trapped in the clinch, and any level changes to the body can be met with a knee or elbow.
However, standing square on the ropes in Kickboxing leaves the kicker a sitting duck for vicious combinations. Body punches become especially dangerous - a southpaw kicker can just slide back a bit or fire off their kick if the opponent changes levels in open space, but once they step onto the ropes they become a mark without elbows or clinching to take them away.
Boonlong’s first foray into Kickboxing rules against a top Bantamweight in Shiro is a good example of the common challenges Thais face in kickboxing:
Boonlong is one of the hardest pound-for-pound kickers in the world, but his boxing is rough. In Muay Thai, he walks his man onto thunderous kicks to the body and arms, prioritizing maintaining kicking range at all times over staying off the ropes, where he eventually falls into the clinch, turns off, and does it again. He managed to hit Shiro with clean, powerful kicks, but his constant attraction to the ropes made it easy for Shiro to swarm and hurt him to the body, leading to a first round knockout loss.
If a southpaw kicker wants to maximize his potential in Kickboxing, the best thing he can do is add boxing skills that allow him to avoid the ropes and dictate the terms of exchanges without abandoning kicking range.
Petchpanomrung’s Main Weapons
Petchpanomrung Kiatmoo9’s dominance at Featherweight over nearly a decade shows just how formidable an elite Thai southpaw becomes when he adds boxing skills to compliment his existing weapons. Monstrous hitters like Yodsanklai can use their southpaw kick as a clubbing tool, mashing their opponent’s arms and bodies to physically force them backwards. Petchpanomrung, however, needs to implement his kicking game and maintain distance with a bit more finesse.
That finesse served Petchpanomrung well as he’s left his prime, allowing him to compensate for diminished speed and explosiveness. In his late career he’s become known as one of those fighters who can suck the wind out of even the most potent offensive arsenal with superior fundamentals. It can produce less than thrilling fights as his challengers often struggle to get clean work going, but it makes it very difficult for Petchpanomrung to be forced outside his comfort zone. His recent win at the GLORY/RISE Featherweight Grand Prix over a field of fresher talent shows that despite his mileage, his defensive style has held up remarkably well.
While Petchpanomrung is known for his left kick, he has a wide range of ancillary skills supporting it that keep him at the right distance to kick the midsection consistently. The teep is the classic tool for strong kickers to maintain their range in Muay Thai, and Petchpanomrung uses his sparingly but to great effect.
Neutral space benefits Petchpanomrung, as he’s almost always the sharper long-range kicker and can set up as far back as he needs. A quick teep acts as a powerful entry counter, foiling opponents who want to step inside and punch with him. When timed right, it feels like running into the tip of a spear and acts as a universal counter to anything the opposing fighter wants to do - their punches fall short and their kicks get them knocked off balance while perched on one leg.
But the teep is a multi-purpose tool as versatile as an educated jab, and bouncing back an advancing fighter is only one of its uses. It pairs brilliantly with his round kicks, either setting the range for a powerful kick or reinforces kicking range after he attacks.
A common reaction after eating a powerful kick is to press forward as the leg retracts, but by teeping as soon as his kicking leg plants down, Petchpanomrung can ward them off and reinforce his preferred kicking range.
Just like the jab, the teep also facilitates safe closing of distance. Shooting straight out from the hip, teeps are one of the longest tools a fighter has, and closing distance behind the teep means advancing behind the longest weapon that allows one to maintain his stance. Where a sound advancing jab can cover the chin with the extended hand, an advancing teep protects the lower body, the raised lead knee threatening to block kicks and knock a kicker off balance.