GLORY World Champion Petchpanomrung Kiatmookao Presents Title Belt to Royal Thai Navy Rescue Team

Buriram's own Petchpanomrung Kiatmookao, more commonly referred to as "Petch," won a prestigious world title last month, defeating American karate fighter and former champion Kevin VanNostrand at GLORY 55 in New York City.

Now serving as interim featherweight world champion of GLORY, the world's premier stand-up combat league, Petch is back home in Thailand to present his title belt to the Royal Thai Navy in tribute to their heroic life-saving efforts during the recent Tham Luang cave rescues.

In late June, thirteen members of the 'Wild Boars' junior football team became trapped in the Tham Luang cave network on Thailand's northern border. On July 10, in a difficult and very dangerous operation that began weeks earlier, Navy SEALS of the Thai Royal Navy completed the rescue of all twelve young players and their coach.

Now, he's presenting his new title belt to the Thai Royal Navy and dedicating it to the memory of Lt. Commander Saman Kunan, a former Thai Navy SEAL, who lost his life in a flooded tunnel as he made a return dive from visiting the 'Wild Boars.'

Petch now has the right to challenge world champion Robin van Roosmalen, who has been sidelined with an injury. The winner of that fight, the date for which will be announced shortly, will be the undisputed world featherweight champion of the world.