Tawanchai recalls how he ‘got interested’ in Muay Thai

Tawanchai PK.Saenchai’s curiosity at a very young age led him down the path of becoming a ONE world champion.

The Thai superstar reached the top of the mountain in his last appearance inside the circle, besting Petchmorakot Petchyindee to capture the ONE featherweight Muay Thai world title in September.

This Friday night, Tawanchai will defend his crown for the very first time at the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok as ONE Championship presents ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video.

Mere hours away from his co-main event clash with Turkish striker Jamal Yusupov, Tawanchai revealed in an interview with ONE Championship that another iconic stadium sparked his interest in the art of eight limbs at a very young age:

“When I was young, my dad always brought me along when he went to work. We would always drive past Thepprasit Boxing Stadium. I passed the stadium every day, and it got me interested. My dad eventually signed me up.”

Years removed from that fateful day, Tawanchai now reigns as a 23-year-old ONE world champion with an impressive 128 career victories to his credit. He’ll look to make it number 129 at the expense of No. 2 ranked featherweight contender Jamal Yusupov at ONE Fight Night 7 this weekend.

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Tawanchai reveals his motivation for competing in Muay Thai at a young age

When young aspiring athletes choose to compete in sports, oftentimes it’s to emulate their favorite sports heroes or live out their own dream of being a sports star someday. But for many young people in Thailand, it was out of necessity to help their struggling families pay the bills.

In a video uploaded to ONE Championship’s YouTube channel, Tawanchai PK.Saenchai revealed that his interest in Muay Thai wasn’t purely out of curiosity. It was also a viable way for him to help his family financially after his father had fallen on hard times:

“I had a rough childhood. My dad used to live comfortably, but he went bankrupt and had to sell everything. After that I began to train Muay Thai. I competed for the first time when I was just seven years old, I won by first-round knockout. It was a three-round fight in a bar.”

There truly is something remarkable about a young child being willing to put their body on the line to help support their parents in a time of need.

Fans in North America can catch the massive Muay Thai co-main event this Friday, February 24 live and for free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.