“Fighting Rooster” Zhang Peimian lit up the ONE Circle in his debut at ONE: LIGHTS OUT earlier this year, and now he is preparing for his return to the global stage.

At ONE 159: De Ridder vs. Bigdash on July 22, the 18-year-old striking phenom will face off with Aslanbek Zikreev in a strawweight kickboxing battle, and he is ready to cement himself as a future star by taking on the biggest challenges he can.

“I want to fight the best opponents. I can’t wait, I have the confidence to beat him and earn a [ONE Strawweight Kickboxing] World Title shot,” Zhang stated.

The young upstart has plenty of fire in his belly, but it was his energy and skill that took him past #5-ranked strawweight kickboxing contender Josh Tonna in March.

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That evening, “Fighting Rooster” put on a striking clinic to dispatch the Australian fighter. He landed heavy uppercuts, overhands, and jabs, and continuously frustrated Tonna with his precision and speed before scoring a TKO in the second frame.

Zhang believes he should be granted an automatic shot at the ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title if he can orchestrate another dominant win inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium on July 22.

“If I win this match, I am very happy to arrange to fight for the World Championship – and it should be very soon. Although I’m young, I don’t have to wait [until] I am already strong,” he said.

His upcoming opponent will not be a walk in the park for the young contender, however.

Zhang Peimian has a tough test ahead of him at ONE 159

Zikreev is the #2-ranked strawweight Muay Thai contender, and although this is a kickboxing bout, the Russian has plenty within his arsenal to frustrate Zhang.

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In his only appearance in ONE Super Series, the Kemerovo native showed his complete skillset to take home a decision win against Wang Junguang.

None of that seems to bother Zhang, though, as he remains certain he can utilize every element in his arsenal to score a victory and live up to the hype he has established for himself.

“Zikreev ranks second [in Muay Thai], with comprehensive skills and flexible footwork. He has advantages in height, weight, and age, but I won’t be under pressure,” he said.

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“I will beat him with my pace and press him with high-frequency punches and legs. He has strength, but I have more strength, and the result of the fight will be convincing.”