Jamal Yusupov relishes the opportunity to face Tawanchai PK.Saenchai after match with Marat Grigorian fell through in 2022

For Jamal Yusupov, when one door closes, another opens.

Such was the case for the Russian striker last fall when he was slated to fight Armenian kickboxer Marat Grigorian at ONE on Prime Video 2. Having already fought three times in ONE’s Muay Thai division, that would have been his first in ONE kickboxing.

Yusupov took the bout on short notice and was not medically cleared to compete following weight and hydration tests for ONE on Prime Video 2. The bout fell through, but perhaps that was for the best for Jamal Yusupov.

Speaking in his pre-fight interview for ONE Fight Night 7, he spoke about his change of fortune that had him fighting for a world title tomorrow:

"It's actually great to have this fight. Honestly, I am happy to have it. With Marat, it was a different kind of style since it is kickboxing. This is Muay Thai. It's different stylistically. I'm super happy to have this fight, and I'm very ready for that."

Had the short-notice kickboxing fight not gone his way, he likely wouldn’t have been considered to fight for a world title fight, even if it was in a different sport. Further, it’s unknown what kind of injuries Yusupov could have sustained against a strong opponent like Grigorian.

Now, Jamal Yusupov is hours away from an even bigger fight in ONE Championship against one of Muay Thai’s young phenoms, Tawanchai PK.Saenchai.

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Despite being sixteen years older, Jamal Yusupov sees he and Tawanchai’s experience as “equal”

They may come from separate continents and have a massive age gap, but Jamal Yusupov believes that he and featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai are on a level playing field.

The 39-year-old European kickboxing champion spoke about Tawanchai’s experience in his pre-fight interviews for ONE Fight Night 7, saying this about his opponent:

“I wouldn't say that he's less experienced. In Thailand, I know that they start fighting from a young age. I started my Thai boxing career when I was 21. So I believe we are more or less equal.”

Tawanchai began training Muay Thai at the age of eight in Thailand, surrounded by a culture that thrives on the sport. Yusupov, who grew up in the Russian republic of Dagestan, didn’t begin training until he was 21 years old.

He’d debut in the ring just three months later and won six Russian national championships in kickboxing and Muay Thai, as well as a European kickboxing title.

ONE Fight Night 7 goes down in a matter of hours at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on Friday, February 24. The event streams on Amazon Prime in US prime time for North American subscribers.