Petnamkhong Faces Veteran Wanchainoi With Contract On Line

Petnamkhong Sor Maneekhot headlines his second consecutive card against a fighter with ten times his experience, and this time the prize is worth far more than bragging rights.

The 22-year-old Laotian-Thai striker meets Wanchainoi Pongsuphan PK in a strawweight Muay Thai main event at The Inner Circle 26 on Friday, streaming live from Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium. A win pushes Petnamkhong closer to a $100,000 main roster contract with ONE Championship — the same prize Wanchainoi is chasing from the other side of the ring, per BJPenn.com.

Petnamkhong's Comeback After Three-Fight Skid

Petnamkhong enters as a clear underdog against a 101-fight veteran from PK Saenchai Muaythaigym, a gap in experience he does not dispute. "I admit that on paper, I might be the underdog in terms of technical skills and experience. But the one thing I am never an underdog in is my heart," he said, according to the report.

The stakes carry extra weight given what it took Petnamkhong to reach this position. Three consecutive losses between August 2024 and February 2025 forced him into a deliberate break from competition to rebuild his confidence. Every fight since that break has ended in his favor, and a win over a veteran of Wanchainoi's caliber would represent the clearest validation yet that the turnaround is real.

Petnamkhong credited his team for the turnaround, telling BJPenn.com that despite being a small team, everyone worked together with unity and dedication to push him back into contention. Beyond the contract and the record, Petnamkhong has said representing Laos on ONE Championship's global stage carries a significance that goes well beyond his own career trajectory.

The Inner Circle 26 streams Friday in Asia primetime from Lumpinee Stadium.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Petnamkhong’s second main event carries far bigger stakes than the first