Ben Woolliss changed the conversation around his ONE Championship career in less than a round.
Now he gets the chance to find out how far that conversation can really go.
The British striker faces former bantamweight kickboxing champion Petchtanong Petchfergus in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 43 at Lumpinee Stadium on Saturday morning, in a fight that should offer a much clearer picture of where he belongs in one of the promotion’s deepest striking divisions.
Woolliss made a dramatic debut in March, stopping former ONE bantamweight MMA champion John Lineker in the first round after chopping down the Brazilian with calf kicks.
But Lineker, for all his power and toughness, was still crossing over from MMA.
Petchtanong is something different entirely – a 40-year-old Thai veteran, a former ONE champion, and a man with more than 400 fights behind him.
“I’ve called for it and we’re here, so it’s time to swim,” Woolliss told the Bangkok Post.
“He’s a 17-time world champion, over 400 fights. That’s some feat. Of course I respect all of that.
“It’s an honour to share the ring with someone of that calibre, and to show my level against that.”
Woolliss’ win over Lineker has since taken on another layer, with the Bangkok Post reporting on Friday that “Hands of Stone” failed a drug test after the fight and has now been released by the promotion.
Woolliss expressed surprise when told the news, but his own focus has already moved firmly to Petchtanong.
Ben Woolliss celebrates a debut TKO win over John Lineker at ONE Fight Night 41
The 32-year-old has built a large online following through his kickboxing instructionals, part of a wider profile that grew during a difficult period away from competition after Crohn’s disease took four years from his fighting career.
That visibility brought questions over whether Woolliss was more content creator than contender – but the Lineker finish helped shift that perception.
“I can see how the perception would be that you’re more into social media,” Woolliss said.
“But it’s great to be able to change the narrative back to what I know I am – and that’s an elite competitor and an elite fighter.”
Woolliss said he has felt a “change in tone” since the Lineker fight, with more recognition and more attention around him heading into his second ONE appearance.
He also admitted watching Jonathan Haggerty’s recent bantamweight kickboxing title defence against Yuki Yoza “with a bit of a different eye”.
But he insisted he is not looking past Petchtanong, whose experience still makes him a serious obstacle despite a frustrating run of inactivity.
“This is a huge fight,” Woolliss said. “This is a massive feat to overcome in Petchtanong.
“My focus is on this and nothing else. Then Saturday we’ll be able to speak about a route and the path.
“My goal is to get to the top of the mountain and whatever things I encounter on the way is that. But right now I need to be focused for Saturday morning because I have an incredible challenge ahead of me.”
Petchtanong is a former ONE Championship bantamweight kickboxing champion
Petchtanong has endured a stop-start period since winning the ONE bantamweight kickboxing title from Hiroki Akimoto in 2022.
He was later stripped of the belt after failing an out-of-competition drug test, returned from suspension with a win over Alaverdi Ramazanov, but has struggled to rebuild momentum since. A bout with Nabil Anane fell apart after Petchtanong missed weight and was taken to hospital, before Ilias Ennahachi withdrew from their scheduled fight in Qatar. He then lost a decision to Yoza last July.
But Petchtanong said he feels ready after a full camp, and believes his technical edge will show against Woolliss.
“My kickboxing and my defence is better than him,” Petchtanong told the Bangkok Post.
“I believe in myself. My defence is very good and I will defend everything – even his calf kick.”
The calf kick became Woolliss’ most obvious weapon after his debut win, but Petchtanong said he has spent time studying how to deal with it after feeling similar attacks in previous fights.
“I learned every style, how to defend a calf kick,” he said. “Just check my leg – that helps a lot.”
Petchtanong admitted he is no longer the same fighter physically as he was in his younger years, but said he remains committed to chasing another run at the belt.
“I’m not like the young fighter, not like before,” he said. “But every day I try to get better. I try to take care of myself all the time, recover all the time.”
Ben Woolliss (left) and Petchtanong on the scales at the ONE Fight Night 43 weigh-ins
Asked whether a win could put him back in the title picture, Petchtanong said: “Hopefully. But I have to see this fight first.
“I don’t have many fights [recently], so hopefully if I get more fights, maybe I get faster, move faster, and my performance gets better.
“I don’t mind fighting with anyone. I can fight with everyone.”
Woolliss has refused to look at Petchtanong’s age or recent inactivity as potential weaknesses.
The former PFL Europe fighter said preparing for anything less than the best version of the Thai would be a mistake.
“I feel like it would be ill preparation for me to bank on something in that regard,” Woolliss said.
“I don’t think any inactivity really will play too much of a factor when you’ve spent that much time inside of a ring.
“I’m expecting and have prepared for his best foot forward, and my best foot forward will be going as well.”
There was a small edge added at Thursday’s weigh-ins after members of Woolliss’ team questioned Petchtanong’s footing on the scales, but both fighters have otherwise kept a respectful tone through fight week.
Ben Woolliss walks off after dropping John Lineker with a calf kick at ONE Fight Night 41
Woolliss said bantamweight is his natural division after his short-notice debut against Lineker took place at featherweight, and that his cut has gone smoothly this time.
“Sixty-five kilos has always been my weight, always been my home,” he said. “I work with Peter Miller [of Condition Nutrition] and everything’s on track.”
Whether Woolliss can stop Petchtanong is another question.
The Thai has rarely been finished across his long career. His six-second KO by Capitan Petchyindee on his ONE debut in 2020 remains the obvious exception, but Woolliss said Petchtanong’s wider record shows how difficult he is to put away.
“Petchtanong is a tough guy,” Woolliss said. “It’s not very often that somebody gets him out of there.
“But the same story was for John. He’d never been stopped and we were able to game plan and execute well.
“I’m prepared for anything. I’m prepared for three rounds of high-paced action. I’d be prepared for five rounds, 10 rounds.
“But I also believe that I’m powerful enough and accurate enough to cause an upset to anybody.”
