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ONE Championship is closing its 2023 calendar year with an absolute banger at ONE Friday Fights 46.
The promotion had one of the best years in its existence this past 12 months, and they decided that the final fight of the year would be the banger between ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai and Superbon Singha Mawynn.
The matchup is the very definition of a super fight with both fighters holding incredible mystique within the combat sports world.
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Superbon is the former ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion and was once the number one pound-for-pound kickboxer on the planet.
Tawanchai, meanwhile, is the poster boy of this generation’s crop of Muay Thai fighters and is poised to become one of the greatest ever strikers in the sport’s history.
There really is no more to say about this matchup but to remind fans that it goes down this Friday at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.
Check your local listings or visit ONE Championship's official website on how to watch ONE Friday Fights 46 from your location. Fans in the United States and Canada can catch ONE Friday Fights 46: Tawanchai vs. Superbon via pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.
That being said, here are the expert predictions from Sportskeeda MMA’s ONE Championship team.
James De Rozario: Superbon by decision
If both warriors are truly at 100 percent, this clash would be a fiery war that could be decided by the slimmest of margins.
There's nothing bigger and better than the prestigious Muay Thai gold of ONE Championship, and Tawanchai and Superbon are fitting heroes, who deserve to end their campaign as a divisional king.
Tawanchai fights at a ridiculously furious pace and he'd be shifting into gears with an eye on another crowning highlight-reel moment on the global stage.
The generational talent's impeccable timing and sting in his strikes are two factors that could help him finish the top-ranked challenger - only if he does manage to string together a chain of attacks.
Superbon isn't walking into this contest as blind as a bat, though. The former featherweight kickboxing kingpin knows what he has to do to leave the ring covered in gold confetti.
If he can match his rival's tempo and deplore a more strategic attack, there's every reason to believe he can accomplish two-sport success before 2024.
Mike Murillo: Tawanchai by knockout
A true super fight between top-notch strikers, this is indeed a must-match offering from ONE Championship.
It’s tough to call, to be honest, but just the same I’m going with the reigning ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai by knockout in the championship rounds.
I pick Tawanchai because the fight is in his lane of Muay Thai as opposed to Superbon, who may have a Muay Thai background but has concentrated more on kickboxing of late.
Both have the power to go for a lights-out win but the in-between transitions during the fight will go in favor of the champion as he has been competing in Muay Thai more.
I think it will weigh a lot in the title showdown, allowing him to retain the world title.
I'm going to bring out the popcorn for this contest and enjoy the end-to-end action. What a way to end the year for ONE.
Ted Razon: Tawanchai by decision
Something has to give when arguably two of the most ferocious kickers in Muay Thai collide. I foresee this match-up living up to its billing, with Tawanchai and Superbon giving us an epic match-up for the ages.
I believe Superbon certainly learned his lesson from that shocking defeat to Chingiz Allazov and will be more cautious during exchanges, especially since he’ll be trading with a terrifying knockout artist in four-ounce gloves.
Superbon’s footwork is one of the most underrated aspects of his game, and I expect him to do damage from the outside with his leg and body kicks from a safe distance. This will also be an effective method to tire Tawanchai out, in hopes of draining his energy for the championship rounds.
However, Tawanchai is a high-IQ fighter who can adapt on the fly. The power of his earth-shattering kicks is the ultimate game-changer, and he can certainly change Superbon’s complexion with some pin-point counters.
I think this will be a back-and-forth affair between two striking maestros at the top of their craft. Ultimately, I’m leaning towards Tawanchai’s experience in Muay Thai as the deciding factor.
While Superbon traces his roots in the Art of Eight Limbs, the intricacies between Muay Thai and kickboxing are still vastly different, especially when you have the small gloves to take into account.
I believe Tawanchai could score a knockdown or two over Superbon and keep his featherweight Muay Thai crown with a decisive unanimous decision win after five rounds.
Vince Richards: Superbon by decision
Fans have been adamant that the match between Superbon and Tawanchai is one of the hardest fights to choose a winner. Both fighters are extremely versed in the art of fighting and are considered two of the most complete strikers in the world.
Tawanchai and Superbon have legitimate one-shot knockout power where one mistake inevitably leads to their opponents losing their consciousness.
While they’re two of the best knockout artists to ever grace the Circle, I don’t see this fight ending in either of them staring blankly at the floodlights.
Knockdowns would be likely, but I expect Superbon and Tawanchai to engage in a violent chess match that would reach all five rounds.
While this is Superbon’s first Muay Thai fight in ONE Championship, I don’t see this caveat playing too much of a factor for the Thai legend. The former ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion traces his roots to Muay Thai, and his fellow fighters often say that he’s a better Muay Thai artist than a kickboxer.
Tawanchai, being the younger of the two, tends to push the action in the first two or three rounds. That could prove a costly mistake that Superbon could take advantage of.
Superbon is a certified knockout artist, but he also has the complete mastery of pace that he can use throughout the entire match. I can see Superbon weathering out multiple storms from Tawanchai before going into the offensive at the end of each round.
I expect Superbon to start slow but end strong, and that would be enough for the judges to give him the win and the coveted ONE featherweight Muay Thai world title.
