NEARLY two years since making his professional debut, China’s best known fighter, Zou Shiming, will be challenging an old acquaintance for his first international belt.

The 33-year-old Guizhou Province native will take on International Boxing Federation flyweight title holder Amnat Ruenroeng (14-0, 5KOs) of Thailand at the Cotai Arena in China’s Macau on March 7 next year.

Last month, at the same arena, the two-time Olympic champion beat another Thai opponent Kwanpichit 13 Rien Express in a 12-round bout to improve his professional record to 6-0 with one knockout. The bout served as an undercard to the WBO world welterweight title clash between Manny Pacquiao and American Chris Algieri, which the Filipino won.

Zou has come up against Ruenroeng, 35, three times during their amateur days, with Zou holding a 2-1 edge.

Their first encounter was in a King’s Cup semifinal bout in Bangkok in April 2007, where Zou lost. Two months later, Zou got his revenge in an Asian Championship fight in Mongolia. The duo met again in the semifinals of the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, where once again Zou emerged victorious and his Thai opponent soon turned professional, two years ahead of Zou.

“To me, he is a stranger I’m very familiar with,” challenger Zou said in Shanghai yesterday, speaking about his opponent, the only obstacle between him and his first IBF world title.

Despite the advantage over Ruenroeng from his amateur days, Zou said professional boxing is much different.

“In an Olympic fight, we make cautious attempts to know about the opponent. However, in a professional ring, a boxer shows his best form and gives all he has from the very beginning.

“Ruenroeng and I are the same type of boxers, who are good at defending and making counterattacks. The more I know about myself, the more I know about him,” Zou conceded.

Zou plans to study more videos of Ruenroeng’s professional bouts and improve his technical skills accordingly.

“He definitely looks stronger than the last time we fought. He is also at his peak, which will make any potential victory over him more persuasive,” a confident Zou said.

Ruenroeng declined to talk too much about his strategy or comment on his opponent yesterday, though he admitted Zou was a good Olympic boxer. “Professional boxing is different, and I’m sure that I’m better than him in this,” the Thai declared.

The March 7 event will feature at least four more Chinese boxers, as well as fighters from Argentina, the United States, and the Philippines, organizers revealed, adding that ticket sales will kick off in the middle of January.