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‘Absolute Fire’ – Kongklai And Adam Benwarwar Promise To Light Up Lumpinee Stadium At ONE Friday Fights 162
Kongklai Sor Sommai and Adam “El Capitano” Benwarwar are ready for chaos when they step through the ropes at ONE Friday Fights 162.
They collide in a bantamweight Muay Thai bout, which headlines the Asia primetime spectacle from Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, July 17. The card follows immediately after The Inner Circle 22, which streams exclusively to members at live.onefc.com.
A win rebuilds Kongklai’s momentum after a recent setback, while a statement victory for Benwarwar would silence a veteran with serious finishing pedigree. For either man, the outcome could also mean a significant step closer to a coveted US$100,000 main roster contract.
Here is what both knockout artists had to say ahead of their main event showdown at Lumpinee this week.
Kongklai Determined To Bounce Back In Style
Kongklai Sor Sommai returns to the weekly series unshaken despite a recent setback.
The Sor Sommai and PK Saenchai Muaythaigym representative saw his three-fight winning streak in the organization come to an end against Julio Lobo in the main event of ONE Friday Fights 152. It was a decision loss he views as nothing more than a minor setback, however.
The Thai shared:
“I messed up [in that fight against Lobo]. Once I got [handed] the eight-count, the fight was actually really close and fun. But it was already late in the third round too, so I couldn’t win.
“But it didn’t affect my confidence because I know I did my best. Confidence-wise, I’m not at a disadvantage because I’ve been fighting Muay Thai my whole life.”
Across a career that has produced an 83-23 record, wins and losses have both come and gone. One thing has remained a constant throughout: his ability to put opponents to sleep.
Inside the ring, Kongklai has finished Paedsanlek PK Saenchai with knees to the head. Deniz “Bad Boy” Demirkapu and Ferrari Fairtex, meanwhile, were knocked out cold courtesy of his missile-like left hand. In fact, all but one of his promotional triumphs arrived inside the distance.
The 27-year-old is not going to be chasing one this time around, however. He is simply focused on doing his job and letting the finish come naturally.
He said:
“Lately, I haven’t been able to finish fights or get a bonus. So, I don’t want to hope for that anymore. I figured it’s better not to expect it.
“It’s better to just do my job to the fullest. If I’m meant to get it, it will come on its own. But if my opponent comes to trade punches, it’s going to be absolute fire. I guarantee it’ll be a war just like the last fight.”
Above all, Kongklai is not walking into this matchup taking Benwarwar lightly.
The Thai has extensively studied his dance partner and has broken down exactly where he believes they stack up against one another. He did not hold back when sharing his findings.
Kongklai said:
“Adam is big, and he hits hard. He’s fast with his punches. However, [his Muay Thai] is pretty much the same as anyone else. He has great hand speed and heavy shots, but when opponents hit him back, he backs off too.
“His other weapons aren’t on my level. [But] we have a complete set of other Muay Thai weapons.”
Benwarwar Aims To Prove A Point
Kongklai Sor Sommai may believe the gap in weaponry between the two men is significant, but Adam “El Capitano” Benwarwar’s most recent performance made a strong case against that theory.
The 23-year-old bounced back from a unanimous decision defeat in his promotional debut by scoring a 52-second knockout of Kendu Irving this past May, securing his 24th career win in the process.
Notably, Irving remains the only fighter to have taken Kongklai the distance across his ONE Championship victories, a detail that has not been lost on Benwarwar heading into fight night.
The Moroccan dynamo said:
“This is an important fight for me. I’ve also heard that Kongklai said that I have nothing except size and speed. So I want to prove that I have more than size.
“I want to show all the Muay Thai elements [from my arsenal] to everyone who watches this fight. I’m very, very prepared and ready for this fight.”
Every ounce of that message has been backed up by his preparation at Petchsaman Gym in Pattaya, Thailand.
Alongside sharpening his own tools, “El Capitano” has also studied his opponent closely, and the Thai veteran’s knockout reputation has done little to shake his confidence.
Benwarwar said:
“After watching some of his fights, I think his rhythms [of attacks] are very slow. Sometimes, he spends too much time trying to figure out what to do.
“As for his strengths, I don’t see many dangerous weapons from Kongklai other than his work in the clinch. He’s good there, but I’m prepared for his calf kicks, his punches, and hard hooks.”
Should everything go to plan, Benwarwar is eager to make it back-to-back highlight-reel triumphs in the weekly series, with a US$100,000 main roster contract potentially awaiting whoever comes out on top.
For the Moroccan, a finish would not just settle the argument over who owns the sharper tools, it would also make the loudest possible case for why that life-changing deal belongs to him.
He concluded:
“I’m going to find a way to knock him out. It could probably be in the first, second, or third round. It doesn’t matter.
“I’m very confident with my right hook, though. If I connect with my right hand, there is probably like a 90 percent chance that it will be a knockdown.”
