WATCH: ‘Smokin’ Jo Nattawut looking powerful in his preparation for Luke Lessei

Fresh off a unanimous decision loss at the hands of ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai in their featherweight kickboxing match at ONE Fight Night 15 on October 6, 2023, Jo Nattawut will have a quick turnaround fight this December.

‘Smokin’ Jo will welcome Luke Lessei to the world’s largest martial arts organization inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, as they are featured in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 17 in a featherweight Muay Thai bout.

Ahead of his return inside the hallowed ring of Lumpinee, ONE Championship posted a video of him in training where he was seen hitting the pads with powerful kicks. The clip was published on November 21, 2023, and was captioned:

““Smokin” Jo Nattawut is on FIRE 🔥 Can the Thai striker claim victory over American debutant Luke Lessei on December 8 at ONE Fight Night 17 on @primevideo? 🤔 @jonattawut”

The 34-year-old veteran looks strong in the clip as he pounded on the pads while the one holding it for him almost snapped his head back while he struck it. This is a testament to the fact that even if he is currently on a three-fight skid, he still possesses incredible power.

Nattawut received praise from fans worldwide by standing his ground against Tawanchai, the reigning ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion, and avoided the fate of his previous opponents by not losing via TKO/KO. He also earned the respect of Tawanchai through his toughness and durability shown during their showdown.

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Jo Nattawut is back on the Muay Thai rankings, inches closer to a world title shot

Despite the loss to Tawanchai, the Thai Top Team representative still received a silver lining from the setback, as he is now ranked as the No. 4 featherweight Muat Thai contender. This was awarded to him by ONE Championship for pushing Tawanchi to three rounds on days’ notice.

If he gets a fantastic win against the American newcomer, especially a stoppage victory, he is guaranteed to move up once more in the upper echelon of the division and is expected to receive a world title shot.

Fans in North America can watch the ONE Fight Night 15 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.