Tawanchai jokes with interim bantamweight Muay Thai champ Nabil Anane after ONE 170: "Don't come to featherweight"

ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai showcased a more light-hearted side while posing for photos with newly crowned ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nabil Anane at ONE 170 this past Friday, Jan. 24.

In a video shared by the world's largest martial arts promotion on Instagram, the 6-foot-4 Muay Thai sensation congratulated Tawanchai for a spectacular second-round TKO to defend the throne from 155-pound kickboxing king Superbon. Almost instantly, a joking Tawanchai told Anane in front of the cameras:

"Don't come to featherweight. I don't want to fight him."

ONE 170 was an important event in Anane's blossoming career. He captured his first ONE world championship by finishing Scottish knockout artist Nico Carrillo late in round one.

This sets up the Thai-Algerian standout for a unification bout with ONE bantamweight Muay Thai and flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek over the undisputed 145-pound Muay Thai crown, which could happen at ONE 172 on March 23 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Meanwhile, Tawanchai's win over Superbon was not just about him successfully defending the crown for a fourth time but also a statement to naysayers who hounded him after eking out a majority decision win over the Thai striking savant in December 2023.

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Tawanchai breaks down TKO sequence against Superbon

There was a noticeable change in Tawanchai's demeanor at the start of the second round, particularly leading up to the three knockdowns that ended the fight.

During the ONE 170 post-event press conference, the 25-year-old explained what made him go for the finish:

"Now I know his plan, and coming in on the second round, I adapted, and I try to counter with everything that I have as well. But all in all, I believe that Superbon trained and planned for this fight very well."

Watch the entire press conference below:

The full replay of ONE 170 is available via watch.onefc.com.