“Kickboxing is another challenge” - Tawanchai stresses the importance of winning kickboxing belt to his legacy

Thai superstar Tawanchai PK Saenchai is out to further bolster his martial arts legacy by adding a kickboxing world title to the Muay Thai gold already in his possession.

He is going for it at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on March 23 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The PK Saenchai Muaythaigym standout will vie for the interim featherweight kickboxing world title against multi-division K-1 champion and hometown bet Masaaki Noiri.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Tawanchai, the featherweight Muay Thai world champion, spoke about the importance of his kickboxing campaign in the overall scheme of building his martial arts legacy.

The 25-year-old Thai champion said:

“Compared to Muay Thai, let’s just say I love Muay Thai. Kickboxing is another challenge. I try to adjust my style to be the most suitable for kickboxing.”

The match at ONE 172 will be Tawanchai's third kickboxing outing in ONE Championship, and he is looking to stay unscathed in the sport.

ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang is available live on pay-per-view via watch.onefc.com.

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Tawanchai says kickboxing game still a work in progress

Tawanchai PK Saenchai has been holding his own in kickboxing but admits his game is still a work in progress, and he is still getting used to certain facets of the sport.

He shared this in an interview with ONE Championship, citing how through the course of his kickboxing matches he is mindful not to employ some "don'ts," including using his elbows.

Tawanchai said:

“I just keep telling myself, ‘Don’t use elbows.’ But I’m a fighter who rarely uses elbows or clinch and knees, so I just need to change my tactics a little bit.”

At ONE 172, Tawanchai is up against an opponent in Masaaki Noiri, who has extensive experience competing in kickboxing during his time in K-1, where he was a two-division champion. He is now angling to have the same success in ONE Championship.