Superbon believes Masaaki Noiri waited ‘for the right moment’ to finish Tawanchai at ONE 172 in Saitama

Superbon thinks Masaaki Noiri waited for the perfect moment to strike against Tawanchai. The former two-division K-1 champion delivered perhaps one of the most stunning upsets in promotional history at ONE 172 in Japan, TKO'ing Tawanchai in the third round of their ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world title clash inside the iconic Saitama Super Arena.

One man who had a close eye on the scrap was Superbon, the current ONE featherweight kickboxing king. He had hoped to book a trilogy fight with Tawanchai—the man who's beaten him twice in the art of eight limbs—but instead, he'll find himself going toe-to-toe with Noiri in a title unification showdown later this year.

Speaking with ONE, Superbon looked back on Noiri's impressive victory, suggesting that his expertise in eight-gloves helped him pinpoint the perfect moment to strike against Tawanchai. The 34-year-old said:

"Plus, it was kickboxing rules. Noiri has more experience, and it was like he was waiting for the right moment from the start."

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Superbon shares word of advice for Tawanchai following ONE 172

Superbon may be one of the best P4P kickboxers on the planet, but that doesn't mean he isn't familiar with defeat. Offering a word of advice to Tawanchai, Superbon suggested that suffering a humiliating loss can be a great motivator for a fighter.

"Many years ago, I suffered the same way—getting knocked out in my first few fights. But it gave me a lesson that like, ‘Come on, I got to hit like this, too’. So I changed my style and switched my weapons to become more skilled."

Turning those losses into learning experiences proved to be beneficial for the Thai superstar.

Are you excited to see Superbon square off with Masaaki Noiri for the undisputed ONE featherweight kickboxing world title in 2025?

If you missed any of the action, you can watch the full ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang replay on demand via watch.onefc.com.