Tawanchai credits his Muay Thai ‘idols’ Buakaw and Saenchai for paving the way for young superstars like him

Before he became one of the most recognizable names in Muay Thai, Tawanchai PK Saenchai was once a young kid in Thailand who wanted to follow in the footsteps of some of the legends of the sport.

Like most of the fighters from this generation, the ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion grew up admiring perhaps two of the biggest names in “The Art of Eight Limbs”, Buakaw Banchamek and Saenchai.

In a recent appearance on Uppertalk with Antoine Pinto, Tawanchai talked about the influence of these two Muay Thai icons and how it shaped him to become the athlete that he is today.

“Buakaw and Seanchai are my idols. They’re respected by foreigners and I like that a lot,” he said.

“For Buakaw, I respect him because of his training, it’s very serious. He’s also the first to use sports science. His physique is really good too, and his punches are cool. He’s a cool guy, simple. I like him.”

Tawanchai also expressed his admiration for the phenomenal Saenchai, the man behind the gym he’s been training at and representing since 2015.

“Saenchai, I like him for his style, skills, tricks, and selling points. I like him for that.”

Watch Tawanchai’s full interview below:

Buakaw, of course, is a man synonymous with Muay Thai, after he proved the effectiveness of the sport by winning on the world stage.

Saenchai, on the other hand, is another pound-for-pound great whose aggressive style is mimicked by some of the biggest stars in Muay Thai today, including Tawanchai.

The 24-year-old Thai phenom will look to align himself alongside his idols one day by continuing his path of excellence under the ONE banner.

Tawanchai returns this Friday at ONE Fight Night 15 against compatriot Jo Nattawut in a thrilling three-round kickboxing affair.

ONE Fight Night 15: Le vs. Freymanov on Prime Video will emanate from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. The full spectacle will air live on US Primetime on October 6, free of charge for those with a Prime Video subscription in North America.