Diego Paez Confident He's Cracked Black Panther's Code Ahead Of ONE Fight Night 40

Momentum can be everything in combat sports, and Diego Paez is determined to keep his rolling. The 32-year-old Colombian-American striker will face Thailand's Black Panther in a flyweight Muay Thai clash at ONE Fight Night 40 on Saturday, 14 February, live from Lumpinee Stadium.

Paez has experienced the full spectrum of emotions since joining ONE Championship. He made his promotional debut last February against Sean Climaco, falling short via a close split decision that could have gone either way.

The setback proved temporary as Paez bounced back impressively in his next outing against teenage phenom Johan Ghazali. The California-based striker secured a hard-fought split-decision victory over one of the sport's brightest young stars.

Paez revealed

he had already mentally prepared for this matchup before it was officially offered. The visualisation paid dividends when ONE Championship came calling with Black Panther's name.

"I saw his last fight with the Colombian (Johan Estupinan), and what's funny is when I saw the fight, every time I see someone in my weight class fight, I always visualize myself fighting him," Paez said.

"So, when the name hit at the table, I was already prepared for it. I think he's young, he's hungry, he's on a good winning streak, and he's an amazing name for me to beat. And I'm all for it, and I'm ready for it. "

Despite Black Panther's impressive 4-1 promotional record and current winning streak, Paez believes he has identified a crucial weakness in the Thai's approach. The American striker plans to exploit what he sees as predictability in his opponent's style.

"I think his biggest weakness is he's one dimensional. I think he has one style, one rhythm, and he's a come-forward fighter. I really want to finish. I need to start a lot quicker. The Thais aren't easy to finish, so I'm excited to go out there and perform," he said.