Tawanchai says the kick that ended Jamal Yusupov connected with perfect timing

At ONE Fight Night 7, Tawanchai PK.Saenchai solidified his reign as a world champion in devastating style. Whilst he has already achieved three impressive wins inside the circle that saw him named as the promotion’s Muay Thai fighter of the year, February 24 may have been his best showing yet.

In the first defense of his featherweight Muay Thai world championship, the 23-year-old prodigy took on Turkey’s Jamal Yusupov, who came into the fight with his own three-fight win streak inside the circle.

Targeting his opponent’s legs from the very start of the fight, Tawanchai controlled the opening stages with his kicks before landing a ruthless leg kick that immediately ended the fight once it was clear that his opponent couldn’t continue from the damage.

In his post-fight interview, the reigning world champion spoke about what he was thinking during the 49 seconds that the fight lasted:

“I feel like all of my kicks were strong. So maybe the the timing was right. So that's why the left kick landed in the right time.”

He added:

“I tried kicking him a few times, but he wasn't really blocking it. So at that time, I tried to kick him hard. And I also know that the timing was right. So yeah, that's when I knew that the fight would end.”

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Jamal Yusupov looking to book Tawanchai rematch after leg heals

With how quickly his fight with Tawanchai ended, Jamal Yusupov was left frustrated that he didn’t get the chance to showcase his skills at ONE Fight Night 7.

On February 24, the Turkish contender looked to dethrone the reigning featherweight Muay Thai world champion in his very first title defense, but he was unsuccessful. One perfect leg kick was all it took to close the show in under a minute, doing significant damage to the challenger’s leg that he couldn’t continue from.

After his impressive three-fight win streak inside the circle, many fans expected the No.2-ranked contender to be a tough test for the 23-year-old Tawanchai. Unfortunately, he wasn’t really able to showcase any of his game whatsoever after his opponent kept him back with kicks before landing the finishing blow.

In an interview with ONE Championship after the fight, Jamal Yusupov spoke about his desire to get another shot at the world champion:

In an interview with ONE Championship after the events of ONE Fight Night 7, he said:

“I would like to get a rematch after I heal my leg, but it is likely the promotion won’t give it to me with this particular result."