“Slower by two steps” – Buakaw says Superbon was playing catch up to pristine Tawanchai at ONE Friday Fights 46

Muay Thai living legend Buakaw Banchamek offered his honest take on Superbon Singha Mawynn’s performance against reigning ONE world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai.

Last month, fight fans were treated to another instant classic in the art of eight limbs when Superbon stepped back into Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium for a main event matchup with ONE featherweight Muay Thai titleholder Tawanchai.

Going toe-to-toe for five rounds, Tawanchai came out on top, securing his seventh straight win under the ONE banner to complete a banner year in 2023.

Looking back at the critically acclaimed scrap via his YouTube channel, Buakaw suggested that the Thai title challenger was two steps behind Tawanchai throughout the 15-minute affair.

“His decision-making and his speed compared to Tawanchai were slower by two steps,” Buakaw said. “So his flow in attack was disrupted many times.”

With the loss to Tawanchai, Superbon has now lost two of his last three, but that won’t deter the former featherweight kickboxing king from coming back even better and showing the world why he is still considered to be one of the pound-for-pound best strikers in combat sports.

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What’s next for Superbon and Tawanchai in 2024?

With the victory at ONE Friday Fights 46, Tawanchai extended his win streak to seven, dating back to January 2022.

During that run, he has bested some of the best names in the game, including Saemapetch Fairtex, Petchmorakot, and ‘Smokin’ Jo Nattawut. With wins in both Muay Thai and kickboxing over the last year, could we see Tawanchai make a run at a second ONE world championship in the new year?

As for Superbon, he still sits as the No.1-ranked contender in the featherweight kickboxing division, making a rematch with Chingiz Allazov, the man who took his title, a distinct possibility.

If you missed any of the action or want to relive an epic night in ONE Championship history, the ONE Friday Fights 46 replay can be watched on demand via watch.onefc.com.