Tawanchai admits loss to Sitthichai lit up his blazing unbeaten run in ONE Championship

Tawanchai PK Saenchai was one of the fastest-rising Muay Thai prospects when he joined ONE Championship in the middle of 2021.

What catapulted him to superstardom, though, wasn’t a career-defining win but a disappointing loss.

Tawanchai was just three months removed from his highlight reel knockout against Sean Clancy in his ONE Championship debut when he lost via split decision against Thai superstar Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong at ONE: Battleground III.

That loss ended up igniting a fire in Tawanchai.

The Thai phenom used that unwavering spirit to rack up a five-fight winning streak and claim the ONE featherweight Muay Thai world title in the process.

Tawanchai capped off his brilliant run with a devastating technical knockout win over former Glory Kickboxing world champion Davit Kiria at ONE Fight Night 13 this past weekend at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

In his post-fight interview, Tawanchai said his loss to Sitthichai became the catalyst to achieve his near-perfect form.

“Losing to Sitthichai was a big disappointment for me, so I made a goal in my mind that I will not lose to anyone else.”

Sitthichai was already one of the best strikers on the planet when he faced Tawanchai in August 2021. With more than 120 wins in his career, Sitthichai was also an eight-time kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion when he traded leather with Tawanchai.

Nevertheless, Tawanchai has shot up at an unprecedented rate during his winning streak.

Tawanchai took out Saemapetch Fairtex and Niclas Larsen before snatching the ONE featherweight Muay Thai world title from Petchmorakot Petchyindee at ONE 161 in September 2022.

The 24-year-old has since defended the gold with a leg-breaking TKO win against Jamal Yusupov at ONE Fight Night 7 this past February.

Tawanchai’s bout against Kiria was his ONE Championship kickboxing debut, and he made sure it would be memorable. Tawanchai didn’t just score the TKO win, but he broke Kiria’s right arm into pieces with a terrifying left roundhouse kick.

He’s now set to defend the ONE featherweight Muay Thai world title against fellow Thai superstar Superbon Singha Mawynn, the former ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion, at ONE Fight Night 15 on October 6.

The titanic clash between Superbon and Tawanchai, as well as the entire ONE Fight Night 15 card, is available live and free on Prime Video in North America.