ONE Fight Night 15: Tawanchai Admits Jo Nattawut Was ‘Tougher Than Expected’ Opponent

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ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai was victorious once again under kickboxing rules this past weekend at ONE Fight Night 15. But the Thai sensation got more than he bargained for from Jo Nattawut.

The PK Saenchai star took to the ring in Bangkok, Thailand's Lumpinee Stadium on Saturday, 7 October. Initially, he was preparing for an emphatic encounter with former featherweight kickboxing lord Superbon Singha Mawynn. But after an injury forced Superbon out, Nattawut stepped up to the plate.

Tawanchai has become a monstrous figure across the featherweight Muay Thai and kickboxing divisions. Tawanchai's recent outings saw him wreck Jamal Yusupov this past February at ONE Fight Night 7 in under one minute in his first World Title defense.

In August at ONE Fight Night 13, the stoic striker stopped Georgian legend Davit Kiria in the third round to get his promotional kickboxing tenure off to a great start.

Nattawut wasn't the late replacement many expected, though. To Nattawut's credit, he gave Tawanchai everything he could handle. And despite walking away with the unanimous decision, Tawanchai acknowledged the difficulty of the task.

"It was something beyond my expectation," the 24-year-old confessed. "Once I saw his body I knew he had been training well and preparing himself," Tawanchai added on the replacement opponent.

With his hand raised and his six-fight winning streak intact, Tawanchai only has eyes for Superbon next. Their scheduled bout was met with plenty of fanfare as two of the best strikers would slug it out.

But while patience is key, Tawanchai insists a meeting with the former ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion is the only thing he wants next. It's a contest that separates the good from the great. And Tawanchai is ravenous for his ultimate test.

"It is something that I want because all the fans are looking forward to this fight," Tawanchai said. "There is no one else on my list or my mind right now. I want to finish my fight with Superbon once and for all."