Reigning ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion is confident that he’s figured out his past foe and soon-to-be World Title challenger .
Reigning ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion is confident that he’s figured out his past foe and soon-to-be World Title challenger .
On January 24 in Asia primetime, the hard-hitting Thai superstars will battle for Tawanchai’s gold in a must-watch rematch at , which goes down at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
Their first World Title encounter took place in December 2023 at , where the PK Saenchai representative secured a narrow majority decision to retain the divisional gold in a five-round thriller.
That unforgettable scrap was Superbon’s first appearance in small-gloved Muay Thai. Since then, he’s picked up a victory in “the art of eight limbs” and also claimed the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title.
According to Tawanchai, fans can expect another all-out war on January 24. He told :
“The second fight against Superbon should be just as fun as the first one because Superbon should be more familiar with Muay Thai. I’m ready.”
The pair’s first clash was a beautiful and dramatic display of Muay Thai, with both men finding moments of success.
Tawanchai admits that Superbon – now the #1-ranked featherweight Muay Thai contender – is a dangerous counter-striker with a knack for taking advantage of the smallest openings.
But after sharing the ring with him for 15 fast-paced minutes, he believes he knows what to expect from the challenger:
“Superbon’s strengths are his sharp eye, razor attacks, and good timing. But now, I can read him like a book. I know every trick he’s going to bring to me, but I won’t say them now.”
Well aware of his opponent’s championship-caliber fight IQ and immense technical prowess, Tawanchai isn’t about to guarantee a quick or easy knockout.
One thing he can promise, though, is another action-packed bout that’s sure to deliver fireworks for as long as it lasts:
“I can’t predict this fight because this is a matchup between fighters of the same level whose skills are on par. But, I still don’t want to lose. I absolutely can’t lose.
“What I want to prove in this fight is that I want to make everyone who comes to watch it is entertained. It’ll be absolutely incredible. This fight’s going to be a barnburner.”
If he’s able to get past Superbon again at ONE 170, Tawanchai PK Saenchai will have further asserted himself as one of the planet’s top pound-for-pound strikers.
With that in mind, he’s setting his sights on two-sport glory:
“My goal in 2025 is to keep my Muay Thai belt and become the kickboxing king.”
While he’s cemented himself as a global superstar in Muay Thai, the 25-year-old is no stranger to the bigger gloves of kickboxing. In 2023, he scored two kickboxing wins against top-flight competition, showing that his well-rounded skill set translates to different striking disciplines.
Tawanchai said that he’s happy to face anyone and everyone – including reigning king Superbon – on his way to the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title:
“If I win this fight against Superbon, I want to cross over to kickboxing and fight anyone in the rankings.
“If I have to fight for the World Title against Superbon, I’m happy to do so because I want to get a kickboxing belt to prove myself.”