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Lightweights (Muay Thai)

Dmitry Menshikov vs. Rungrawee Sitsongpeenong

In the first and heaviest muay thai battle on the card, Russia’s Menshikov meets a late replacement in Sitsongpeenong at 170 pounds. Sitsongpeenong is stepping in for top kickboxer Sinsamut Klinmee, as the change was announced just four days before the event. Sitsongpeenong has already fought three times in ONE in 2023, winning all three by decision. Menshikov came into ONE with a lot of hype and an immediate title shot, having been undefeated for over five years. However, he got pasted in just 46 seconds by supreme champion Regian Eersel—one of the best kickboxers in the world in any weight class or discipline.

Menshikov’s strategy is to come forward like a zombie, absorb shots and then deliver huge blows of his own. His offense is fearsome. He is enormous at 170 pounds, has a jaw-rattling jab and vicious sledgehammer punches to the body. His left hook and overhand right are both quite good, technical and powerful shots that have claimed multiple knockout victims. No one should neglect his monstrous knees, which can instantly scramble an opponent’s brain if Menshikov is within range. The trouble? Menshikov takes a ton of shots on his way forward, even by the standards of brawling kickboxers. Furthermore, his legs are far less developed than his hands. He throws relatively few kicks and often just eats opponents’ leg kicks, neither checking them nor retreating from them.

This does not look promising for Sitsongpeenong. Menshikov is certainly beatable, but you need good movement and defense and powerful offense of your own; and it helps to be huge like Eersel. Sitsongpeenong is a good southpaw muay thai practitioner, with solid but not especially fast kicks, a nice close-range elbow and an effective left cross. However, he is small for his weight class and will look tiny compared to Menshikov. His defense and movement is decent but penetrable, and he lacks knockout power in any of his blows. Moreover, his boxing is far more limited than the Russian’s—a reality Menshikov figures to ruthlessly exploit. Unless Sitsongpeenong can catch him with the perfect shot, Menshikov by knockout is the call.

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