Tawanchai brings ONE Championship belt back to PK.Saenchai Gym to chorus of cheers

Newly crowned ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK.Saenchai returned to his training grounds in style with a shiny new belt perched above his shoulders.

After ending Petchmorakot Petchyindee’s reign at ONE 161 last week, the 23-year-old Thai superstar was met with loud cheers from his teammates at the PK.Saenchai Gym in Bangkok, Thailand.

Tawanchai, after all, honed his craft inside the famed Muay Thai institution. He wouldn’t have become the killer that he is today without his ever-supportive coaches and teammates.

As such, he made sure to share the biggest milestone of his career so far, with those who helped him along the way.

Watch the incredible moment below:

Tawanchai managed to accomplish what no other fighter has done before by giving Petchmorakot his first career loss inside the circle. The Thai wrecking machine went 5-0, including three successful world title defenses. That streak ended when he met his match against the PK.Saenchai Gym superstar.

The two compatriots figured in an epic five-round battle, with both fighters each having their moments. The judges, however, rewarded the younger fighter for pushing the action with his devil may care style.

He peppered Petchmorakot with insane combinations to the knee and body and also landed more significant strikes throughout the bout. The monumental victory improved Tawanchai’s record to 128 wins and 31 losses.

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Tawanchai PK.Saenchai is still getting used to the weight of his new world title

The Thai star is already enjoying the spoils of his well-deserved victory. This includes carrying around 26.4 pounds of precious gold wherever he goes.

ONE unveiled a bigger and better version of its prestigious world championship belts in commemoration of the promotion’s 10th-anniversary event, ONE X.

While winning gold has been his dream all along, Tawanchai admits he was taken aback by just how hefty the new belt is.

He told ONE in an exclusive interview:

“It's really heavy, it's really heavy as they say. When I was tired from the fight, the belt was put on and I might have fallen down. So it's worth it, you know, this heavy type, it's worth it for ONE Championship to have a heavy belt like this.”

At just 23 years old, the champ is yet to reach his full potential and is still improving as a fighter with each passing day.

That’s a scary sight for the rest of his challengers moving forward.