"He was really on fire that day" - Tawanchai admits he was "surprised" by Jo Nattawut's ferocious display in rematch

ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai has participated in some absolute barnburners throughout his tenure in ONE Championship.

But his most recent fight against 'Smokin' Jo Nattawut is arguably one that will live long in his memory — for the wrong reasons.

The PK Saenchai Muay Thai Gym representative and the striking veteran crossed paths for the second time after dishing out an instant classic in their featherweight kickboxing tie at ONE Fight Night 15 in October 2023.

Few would have predicted that 'Smokin' Jo could have bettered his performance from the first fight, especially since their rematch took place in his opposite number's domain.

But that was exactly what happened in the main event of ONE 167 in June last year.

The 35-year-old burst into life in the later rounds after dealing with the defending king's world-class kicking game in the first two stanzas.

Nattawut began to set up his combinations with piercing calf kicks. Soon, his damaging straights found their home, and Tawanchai's vision was affected.

With things all even-stevens, both men used every trick in the book to guarantee their chances at victory in the fifth and final canto. Though Nattawut appeared in control, Tawanchai came out on top with a razor-thin majority decision after a back-and-forth scrap.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, the featherweight Muay Thai kingpin conceded that he wasn't prepared for Nattawut to come out guns blazing as he did in the rematch. He admitted:

"I was a bit surprised, but he was really on fire that day. He must have trained really hard."

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Tawanchai puts his gold on the line at ONE 170

Though he was visibly frustrated by his display against Nattawut in their redo, even apologizing to the crowd for his sub-par display, the Thai is ready to put that all in the past when he hops back into action in the main event of ONE 170 on Friday, January 24.

He puts his featherweight gold on the line against Superbon in a sequel to their ONE Friday Fights 46 classic in December 2023, where Tawanchai overcame the ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion by majority decision.

ONE 170, which emanates live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, will be available to active Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.