ONE Championship: Tawanchai versus Petchmorakot will be an explosive showdown

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Tawanchai PK.Saenchai has found a home in the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai division, especially after an emphatic victory over Niclas Larsen at ONE 158 on June 3 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

He was already manifesting his finishing prowess at bantamweight, however, cutting weight often left him drained.

"In this [featherweight] division, I'm not tired from the weight cut, and it is mentally good for me during preparation in the fight camp. I think it will be easier in this weight division to take on the World Champion," the 23-year-old Thai told ONEFC.com.

His solid preparation was evident in his impressive performance over his Danish counterpart at ONE 158. While Larsen provided pressure and constantly narrowed the gap, Tawanchai's push kicks and accurate strikes kept his opponent at bay.

The warrior from PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym also made Larsen pay with body kicks whenever he unleashed his punches. Ultimately, Larsen's aggression proved to be his downfall. A right hook-left straight combination from the Thai phenom ended the contest at 1:42 of round two.

Tawanchai improved his ONE Championship record to 3-1 and earned a US$50,000 performance bonus for the stunning finish. More importantly, he gets a shot at ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Petchmorakot Petchyindee.

The titleholder vowed to have a stronger showing after a split-decision win over Jimmy Vienot at ONE 157 this past May. While combat sports fans predicted an easy victory for Petchmorakot, Vienot made him earn his third successful defense.

But as he brings out the kicks and the strikes, Tawanchai won't back down. He will not be afraid to meet fire with fire. Yet he won't be stepping inside the Circle unprepared. Instead, he will ramp up his preparation to have enough gas against a well-conditioned Petchmorakot.

If their ONE World Title fight goes the distance, the challenger would like to sustain his energy in hopes of defeating the featherweight Muay Thai king.

Regardless of the result, Petchmorakot versus Tawanchai is a must-watch contest for all enthusiasts of the discipline. It wouldn't be surprising if it became an all-time classic. Still, Tawanchai won't take his chance for granted.

"When I fight Petchmorakot, I will train two or three times harder, and all my focus will be on taking that belt away from him. I know his game plan, who he is, and how his game will be. I will read every step during the fight. My goal is to take that belt from him," he said.

In the meantime, ONE Championship returns to action with ONE 159 on 22 July. Two-division ONE World Champion Reinier De Ridder will defend the ONE Middleweight World Championship against Vitaly Bigdash.

Meanwhile, ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion Janet Todd takes on WBC Muay Thai World Champion Lara Fernandez for the ONE Interim Atomweight Muay Thai World Title.

Source: Media Release