Unfazed Sor Rungvisai aims to unify super fly titles, eyes fights vs Ancajas, Nietes

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai of Thailand, right, and Iran Diaz of Mexico pose for a picture during their open workout at Nakornlound Promotion Gym. Sor Rungvisai will be defending his WBC super flyweight title against Diaz in the main event of ONE: Kingdom of Heroes on October 6 at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Mark Giongco/INQUIRER.net

NONTHABURI—From one boxing champion to another, Thai warrior Srisaket Sor Rungvisai has high praises for Filipino star Jerwin Ancajas.

Sor Rungvisai said he’s impressed with Ancajas particularly with his boxing style and that same brilliance is also one of the reasons why the current WBC super flyweight champion is interested in fighting the reigning IBF titleholder.

“I have been watching him fight and I think he’s a great boxer especially in terms of his style fighting backward,” said Sor Rungvisai through his promoter Thainchai Pisitwuttinan, who also served as his interpreter on Tuesday during his ONE open workout at Nakornloung Promotion Gym here.

Sor Rungvisai during his open workout. Just shadowboxing. No mitts. #ONE pic.twitter.com/MEERTFUiMT

— Mark Giongco (@MarkGiongcoINQ) August 28, 2018

“If I really get to fight with him, I would definitely move forward and try to knock him out. I think that will be a great fight,” he added.

The 31-year-old Sor Rungvisai, who reclaimed the WBC belt after edging former pound-for-pound king Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez in March of last year before knocking him out in their rematch six months later, has grand plans of unifying the titles in the 115-pound division before potentially going up in weight.

“My wish is that I would like to unify the division. If I really can do it, I want to clean up the division first, unify the whole thing and when it’s all done and if it really happens I would consider going up to the 118-pound division to fight Inoue,” he said, referring to Japanese champion Naoya Inoue, who has moved up to bantamweight.

Sor Rungvisai says he’s “very impressed” with Ancajas. pic.twitter.com/Q2vbTJiOEQ

— Mark Giongco (@MarkGiongcoINQ) August 28, 2018

Ancajas, who is set to defend the IBF crown against Alejandro Barrios of Mexico on September 29 in Oakland, had also expressed his intention to fight Sor Rungvisai.

“I will not take him lightly for sure because he’s a great fighter, but my aim would be to go for a knockout and it would be a very interesting fight especially that we are both southpaws so that would be an interesting style of fight,” Sor Rungvisai, the fifth-ranked fighter in the world pound-for-pound, said.

Sor Rungvisai is also not discounting the possibility of clashing with another Filipino champion in Donnie Nietes, who is fighting in the 115-pound class for the first time against compatriot Aston Palicte for the vacant WBO crown on September 8 in California.

“They are both great fighters and if I get the opportunity, I would love to fight both of them. It will be great fights.”

Sor Rungvisai is set to defend his belt against Iran Diaz of Mexico in the main event of ONE: Kingdom of Heroes on October 6 at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.