Tawanchai PK Saenchai made it look all too easy against Superbon in the main event of ONE 170 in front of a raucous sold-out crowd in Bangkok, Thailand.
Impact Arena was loud from start to finish, but nothing compared to the height of the main event when Tawanchai sat down Superbon three times in the second round for a TKO win in defense of the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai Championship.
After a hard 2024, nobody was happier with the win than the defending champion.
“The last time, I remember after we finished that fight, I went back and I was under a lot of pressure from online [critics], and I didn’t talk to anyone for weeks. It’s safe to say that I lost my fire back then when I finished that fight,” Tawanchai admitted after the event.
“But then I thought to myself, these are just words. I only have to do better. I have to train harder, and now this time, I get to prove myself that I am better.”
Feeling the pressure of how his last performances went, Tawanchai relied on his superior mind to bring him to a whole new level.
The 25-year-old refocused his training on identifying his faults, improving them, and being read to adapt to whatever Superbon brought to the table at ONE 170. The staggering TKO victory proved that his preparation paid off.
“I took the first round to feel the situation, to see what kind of game plan that Superbon had brought for me, and I knew that he tried to rely on using a counterattack. He tried to counter back after I kicked or struck him,” Tawanchai stated.
“So then I knew his plan, and coming in on the second round, I adapted. I tried to counter with everything that I have as well. But all in all, I believe that Superbon trained and planned for this fight very well.”
Superbon will not leave Tawanchai’s crosshairs just yet. That is because the Thai star wants two-sport gold and Superbon is the reigning ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion.
The Muay Thai king feels he is ready to switch over and prove he is the greatest pure striker in the world.
“My next dream is to get the kickboxing belt, and I want to become a two-sport world champion. There are many people who are talking down on me right now, but I will prove to everyone that I can get that belt,” the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai Champion said.
ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sitydotong has heard the request, and he seems ready to allow Tawanchai to make history.
Still, he wants Tawanchai to prove he won’t lose his hunger after another huge win on a global platform that will give him even greater global acclaim.
“Yes, if the opportunity comes, I would like to give Tawanchai a chance to get that kickboxing belt, but it’s also up to Tawanchai as well. What he’s going to do after all his fame and all his money? Is he going to still work hard and have the discipline,” Sityodtong pondered.
“I know many fighters that have lost their way because they earn fame, they earn money, and they don’t train hard anymore. We know that Tawanchai has been training very hard for the past 10 years, and I hope that he keeps up the good work.”
Relive every moment of ONE 170 on demand via ONE’s official YouTube channel.