Superbon surprised by Jo Nattawut’s decision to face him before Tawanchai trilogy in Atlanta: “I didn’t think I would fight him”

Superbon was "a bit" surprised that Jo Nattawut accepted a fight against him considering the circumstances.

On November 8, Nattawut will have a second opportunity to dethrone Tawanchai of his ONE featherweight Muay Thai world title. The rematch at ONE 169: Atlanta takes place only five months after their first meeting in "The Art of Eight Limbs" where Tawanchai emerged victorious by majority decision in an instant classic.

Preparing for a fight against Tawanchai is enough to keep a world-class fighter busy. Instead, Nattawut has decided to accept another fight. He's scheduled to fight the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world champion Superbon in a Muay Thai matchup on September 27 in the ONE Friday Fights 81 main event.

During an interview with the South China Morning Post, Superbon was asked if he was surprised that Nattawut accepted the risky matchup. He responded by saying:

"A bit, yes. Because I didn’t think I would fight him before his match for the title. But for me, when they offered me the fight, I never say no - I always say yes to a fight. So it’s good for me."

ONE Friday Fights 81 will take place inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Next Friday's highly-anticipated event can be seen by North American fans via pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.

Watch Superbon's entire interview with the South China Morning Post below:

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Could Jo Nattawut's fight against Superbon affect his title shot against Tawanchai?

Jo Nattawut will have slightly over a month between his Muay Thai fights against Superbon and Tawanchai. For those who don't know, Superbon is widely considered one of the greatest strikers in ONE Championship history, making this an extremely risky matchup for Nattawut.

Even if Nattawut wins, he could easily suffer an injury or damage that puts his title shot against Tawanchai in jeopardy. Furthermore, it won't be easy for 'Smokin' Jo to fight a world-class fighter and then immediately jump into another training camp to prepare for the highly respected Tawanchai.

On the contrary, Superbon could see ONE Friday Fights 81 as a massive opportunity. If he can knock out Nattawut, the promotional may decide to link him up for another matchup versus Tawanchai, creating a rematch for their legendary featherweight Muay Thai world title fight in December 2023.