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Tawanchai has made it perfectly clear that he hopes to one day hold both striking world championships in the featherweight division. The Thai phenom has already conquered the Muay Thai division, which he currently reigns over as a dominant world champion.
His performances in title defenses have made him appear to be unstoppable when competing under this ruleset. ONE Friday Fights, 46 where he defended the belt against Superbon, was a perfect example of this.
However, the Thai world champion is also motivated by taking on the challenge of competing in kickboxing against some of the biggest names in striking sports.
He had several forrays into the division throughout 2023, but with the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix coming up, he is looking forward to taking part and testing himself.
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At the ONE 167 press conference, he spoke about his intentions to compete in the tournament and his motivations for doing so:
"I will definitely take part in the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix. To be a champ, and waiting for someone to come up and challenge me will take a long time. But joining this Grand Prix will be a chance for me to face many and all the great athletes. Other than there is a big reward waiting for me in the Grand Prix."
Watch the full ONE 167 press conference below:
Tawanchai has a rematch to deal with first
The last time that Tawanchai competed in kickboxing was at ONE Fight Night 15 where he secured a narrow decision win over Jo Nattawut.
After many felt like 'Smokin'' Jo deserved the victory, the two men are set to meet again in the main event of ONE 167 on June 7. This time around, they will compete under Muay Thai rules as the champion puts the featherweight Muay Thai gold on the line.
With a second win over Nattawut, the champ can then turn his attention to kickboxing for the foreseeable future.
ONE 167 will air live in US primetime on June 7 and is free to watch for North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.
