Sitthichai gives credit to Masaaki Noiri’s whipping leg kicks: “That’s why my leg hurts”

Thai superstar Sitthichai Sitsonpeenong may have left the sold-out Impact Arena in Bangkok with a big win, but that's not all he took home with him.

Determined to get back into the win column after coming up short against former three-time GLORY Kickboxing champion Marat Grigorian, Sitthichai put on a show at ONE 167 in his native Thailand, handing Japanese kickboxing sensation Masaaki Noiri a unanimous decision loss in his highly anticipated promotional debut.

Speaking with Sportskeed MMA following his return to the win column, Sitthichai revealed that his legs were definitely feeling it after absorbing a slew of low kicks from the former two-division K-1 champion.

"There were a lot of low kicks, a lot of it, and that’s why my leg hurts," he said. "But, don’t worry, it’ll be down in a few days."

With the victory, the Thai bagged his 129th career win and re-established himself as the No. 3 ranked contender in the stacked featherweight kickboxing division.

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Sitthichai thankful for the fans who have had his back since day one

Having lost back-to-back fights in ONE, many were convinced that Sitthichai's best days were far behind him. 'Killer Kid' more than proved that's not the case at ONE 167 and was thrilled to know that there are fans out there who believed he could get back to his winning ways on martial arts' biggest global stage.

"I’m very happy, and very relieved to know there are such messages because normally I’d see something like, ‘He’s done. He’s at the end of his career.’"

What's next for the eight-time former kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion remains to be seen, but it's safe to say that he took one step closer to earning another shot at ONE Championship gold.

If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE 167 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.