ONE Friday Fights 46 will help bring 2023 to a close with incredible style, as ONE featherweight Muay Thai champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai will finally take on Superbon Singha Mawynn in the headlining bout.
Injuries and illness have pushed back the world title tilt on two occasions, but it looks set to go down on global pay-per-view on Friday, December 22, much to the delight of the reigning king.
“For the first withdrawal, I think he hurt his leg. The second, I got sick. I got infected with the influenza virus. I had to stay in the hospital for several days. I felt like I was having a hard time recovering. Therefore, I felt like I had to postpone this fight,” Tawanchai told ONE.
“But now I’m all good. After recovering from the sickness, I came back and trained twice as hard.”
The two featherweights are meeting at the perfect time, given that both are at the top of their games.
Former featherweight kickboxing king Superbon rebounded from losing his crown this past January by scoring a dazzling knockout over Tayfun Ozcan in June. Now, he’ll don the four-ounce gloves in a bid to capture a title in Muay Thai.
The anticipation is palpable for everyone involved. Tawanchai feels it growing between, and he expects it to come to a head on fight night with explosive results.
“Fans have been waiting a long time for this fight to happen because it has been postponed twice already, so I’m glad it will finally happen,” he remarked.
“Superbon talks about me often. So I want to fight him, just as he wants. This is the right time for us to crash into each other.”
“I don’t know if it is going to be the toughest fight I’ve had or not, but I’m sure it will be a barnburner.”
Tawanchai is taking the bout seriously, though he’s also aware that his foe will be crossing over into his domain. Many see that working against Superbon, but the featherweight Muay Thai king disagrees.
“I have known of, respected, and followed [Superbon] throughout his kickboxing career. But I’ve never watched him compete in Muay Thai,” Tawanchai said.
“It’s no problem [that he hasn’t competed in Muay Thai much recently]. He has a Muay Thai background, and he has good skills. I don’t think he’s at a huge disadvantage. He is one of the best strikers in the world. He is definitely not an ordinary fighter.”
“His strength is his head kick – he can kick really fast. And he has no weaknesses. I can’t let my guard down for a second, or he will put me to sleep.”
He may be impressed by his upcoming opponent’s skills, but Tawanchai still expects to walk out of Lumpinee Boxing Stadium with his hand held high and the title over his shoulder.
Called a generational talent by some, the PK Saenchai star believes he will remain on top of the Muay Thai world by utilizing his impeccable technique and experience in four-ounce gloves.
“The small gloves will definitely make a difference from the kickboxing fights he is used to because the impact force between small gloves and large gloves is very different,” the 24-year-old remarked.
“I’ve prepared a lot of things for him. Let’s find out in the ring. I’m confident I will beat him as well. This belt belongs to me. I won’t give it to anyone without a fight. I will do my best to keep it.”
ONE Friday Fights 46 airs live on Friday, Dec. 22, on watch.onefc.com at 7:30 a.m. EST/4:30 a.m. PST. The main card airs on global pay-per-view for $39.99.