ONE Fight Night 7: Three Keys To Victory For Tawanchai PK Saenchai vs Jamal Yusupov

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Bangkok, February 21: Having realized his dream of holding Muay Thai gold in ONE Championship, Tawanchai PK Saenchai is set to make the first defense of his ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title since transitioning from challenger to champion.

The Thai standout meets #2-ranked Jamal Yusupov this Saturday, 25 February, at ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker vs. Andrade II at the prestigious Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Turkish tussler will provide an aggressive assignment for the Bangkok native's first championship defense, so let's look at three keys to victory for Tawanchai.

Control The Distance

In order to have a successful outing, Tawanchai will have to make sure that he controls the space inside the Circle.

Yusupov is known for closing the distance to give his significant strikes a platform, while Tawanchai has a better output when utilizing his range and controlling the distance between himself and his adversary.

Should Tawanchai be able to maintain the distance, it will allow him to pick off his Turkish challenger, which will only frustrate his aggressive counterpart further, leaving him open and vulnerable to the Thai's stunning power.

Make Use Of Counter Opportunities

As aforementioned, what has gotten Yusupov this far is his ability to fluster opponents with his hard-hitting and aggressive approach to fighting.

Yusupov is no slouch, and inside the pocket is where he shines. If he smells a finish, the 39-year-old will not back off. This has provided pivotal opportunities for him in his career, but it has also been his downfall as rushing in against an opponent of Tawanchai's caliber will not be as simple.

Tawanchai has demonstrated his counterpunching in previous contests, which has led to stoppages against the likes of Niclas Larsen and Saemapetch Fairtex under the ONE lights. If the 23-year-old can remain calm against Yusupov's aggression, then he will have a significant chance at making a statement in his first title defense.

Remain Aware Of Yusupov's Flurries

Yusupov enters this contest undefeated in ONE, riding a three-fight winning streak against the likes of Samy Sana, Jo Nattawut, and Yodsanklai Fairtex.

The approach he has taken to his combat sports career has worked well thus far in reaching the top five in ONE, but his approach may come unstuck against Tawanchai's abilities.

At only 23-years-old, Tawanchai's experience and fight IQ are among the best around. His stoic nature will take some cracking to beat, and the flurries that Yusupov has made famous will have their work cut out for them.

In addition to controlling the range and waiting for opportunities to counter, Tawanchai will be smart to avoid Yusupov's flurries and stay out of a firefight. If he can keep the contest technical and fight with his usual discipline and poise, he will have a great foundation upon which to retain his gold.

Source: Media Release