There are victories that satisfy, and then there are knockouts that validate every promise a fighter made in the buildup.
Saturday at Lumpinee Stadium, Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon delivered the latter, becoming the first fighter to knock out Abdulla Dayakaev in ONE Championship through a second-round body shot that crumpled the Russian and announced the 22-year-old Thai’s arrival as a legitimate title threat.
The relief in his voice afterward spoke to the pressure of bold predictions meeting reality.
“I’m very happy, and it’s such a huge relief that I am able to win and able to achieve whatever I promised today, and the plans that I have planned also worked. So I’m very happy,” Rambolek said.
His patient early approach proved strategic rather than tentative, the calculated testing of an opponent’s reactions before unleashing the game plan that produced the knockout.
“Yes, it was part of the game plan, it was to see how he would react to my punches or kicks. So I was afraid, like if I threw a kick, he would punch me back immediately, counter with that, but then I could say that he couldn’t react as fast as I expected,” he said.
“So in the second round, I switched up my game plan. I just made the game plan faster, and I just threw in more kicks.”
The knockout itself came from film study rather than instinct, the kind of preparation that separates good fighters from championship-caliber ones.
“I did an interview before, I said that I spotted his weakness, and the fans will see it in the ring, and I was able to show that his weakness was the body shot, because I studied his fight, and I did not see anyone [who] was able to throw the body shot against him before,” Rambolek said.
“He got punched a lot in the face, but then he was able to just tough it out. So I thought, ‘Yeah, maybe the body shot would be the answer,'” he said.
His self-assessment carried both pride and perspective, understanding the difference between technical brilliance and meaningful achievement.
The influence of his corner — Superbon and Nong-O — emerged as central to his preparation and performance.
“They played a huge role in making me improve because they always train me, and they always point out whatever weaknesses that I have. They are not afraid to show what areas I could improve. So yeah, I think they have helped me so much, and they have played a really big part to help me,” he said.
When asked about title readiness against ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane, Rambolek’s response carried the confidence of a fighter who’s just validated his championship credentials.
“I am ready if the opportunity presents itself. I think it’s time,” he said.
The fact that he’d already encountered Anane after the fight — Dayakaev’s teammate at Team Mehdi Zatout — added intrigue to the potential matchup.
“I ran into him already today, and I already said hi to him. I told him I wanted to fight him, and yeah, I think it would be entertaining if I got to fight him,” he said.
His final message to fans carried the declaration that promises are shifting from defensive victories to offensive championship pursuit.
“Thank you to all the fans. Thank you for the support you have always given me all these years, and you know, I think it’s time to hunt down the belt. Let’s go,” Rambolek said.
Saturday proved Rambolek’s promises weren’t empty confidence but calculated assessment backed by championship-caliber preparation. The hunt he speaks of now moves from prospect to contender, from proving he belongs to claiming what he believes he’s earned.
