“I will do it with pressure” – Joseph Lasiri vows to end Prajanchai rivalry with another resounding finish

ONE strawweight Muay Thai world champion Joseph Lasiri is seeking to put a dot on his rivalry with Prajanchai PK Saenchai in his favor in their unification fight later this week.

‘The Hurricane’ will battle interim strawweight Muay Thai title holder Prajanchai for the division’s supremacy in the co-headlining clash at ONE Friday Fights 46. The event is set for December 22 at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

It will be a rematch between the top top strikers after Lasiri seized the strawweight Muay Thai gold from Prajanchai in May last year.

Heading into their unification bout, 32-year-old Italian-Moroccan champion Lasiri said he is going to bring the heat and go for the finish late in his showdown against his Thai rival:

“For me, the prediction is I will beat Prajanchai in round four by KO. I will do it with pressure.”

ONE Friday Fights 46 marks the first title defense for Joseph Lasiri. He was last in action in November 2022, when he vied to become a double ONE world champion ny taking on the promotion’s flyweight Muay Thai king Rodtang Jitmuangnon. He lost by unanimous decision.

Prajanchai, meanwhile, is on a three-fight winning streak, including a second-round KO win over Thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao in June this year to claim the interim strawweight Muay Thai world title.

Check your local listings or visit ONE Championship's official website on how to watch the event 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.

---

Joseph Lasiri says he learned a lot in Rodtang fight

Joseph Lasiri fell short in notching a second ONE world title when he challenged Rodtang Jitmuangnon for his flyweight Muay Thai gold last year. However, he learned a lot from the contest, which only made him a better fighter.

The Italian-Moroccan strawweight Muay Thai world champion battled ‘The Iron Man’ in November last year. He went the full route but not after emptying his cache of weapons just to stand toe-to-toe with Rodtang. He still lost by unanimous decision despite a strong effort.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Joseph Lasiri shared:

“In the fight against Rodtang, it was hard. We expected that before we went to fight [facing his style] and I remember when I fought Rodtang it was like round for round, you have to change something.”

See the interview below:

The lessons he got from the Rodtang fight are among what Lasiri will dig into as he takes on Thai rival and interim strawweight Muay Thai titleholder Prajanchai PK Saenchai.