Buakaw on Masaaki Noiri's electric performance at ONE 172: "Most agree that he wasn't on Tawanchai's level"

Thai combat sports legend Buakaw Banchamek recently admitted that he underestimated Masaaki Noiri during his ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world title match against Tawanchai PK Saenchai last March 23 at ONE 172.

During his reaction video of the championship clash between the two striking maestros on his YouTube channel, Buakaw even said that most fans also agree with his take heading into the match, as he explained:

"But fight from, his fighting style, heading into this fight, most agree that he's not quite on Tawanchai's level. So yeah, many fans saw this as kind of a test drive for Tawanchai."

Check out Buakaw's video here:

But these assumptions and predictions were quickly squashed after the Japanese star scored a gigantic upset over the reigning ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion with a third-round TKO finish to capture the 26-pound golden belt and set the stage for a unification match with reigning divisional king Superbon.

That defeat was also Tawanchai's first-ever stoppage loss under the world's largest martial arts organization and was only his second blemish to his record under the promotion.

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Buakaw certain that Tawanchai was winning his fight against Masaaki Noiri at ONE 172 before third-round TKO

In the same video reaction, Buakaw also shared that Tawanchai was in complete control of the match in the first two rounds because he had more strikes landed and the variety of attacks was more evident.

However, one big mistake by Tawanchai has cost him the match, and he was eventually on the losing end of an incredible TKO finish in front of a hostile crowd, as Buakaw proclaimed:

"Up until the start of the third round, I would say Tawanchai was leading. He was scoring points. He had more attacks while Masaaki threw one or two. He didn't do much wrong until this point."

Fans can rewatch all the action at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang via watch.onefc.com.