Thai star 'Smokin' Jo Nattawut proud to teach "authentic Muay Thai" in adoptive city of Atlanta 

Third-ranked featherweight Muay Thai contender 'Smokin' Jo Nattawut has settled his roots and found solace in the United States.

After initially living in Colorado, the Thai striker moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 2013 and has discovered his second home.

As expected, the 34-year-old brought his passion for 'The Art of Eight Limbs' with him and opened the Bangkok Fitness Gym, where he began teaching the sport.

In an exclusive interview with ONE Championship, Nattawut recalled how he fell in love with the city and its culture:

"Atlanta is home. I live here. I have all my friends, my work, everything is here. This is home for me, so it's easier for me to open a gym here."

'Smokin' Jo, of course, honed his craft straight from its source in Thailand during his early years. As such, he continued to pass on the traditional style of Muay Thai to his students. The Thai Top Team star furthered:

"You have to build a good foundation, right? The whole system. If I own the gym, I already have an idea to create a full system. Everybody follows the system and the way we teach authentic Muay Thai."

Meanwhile, ONE is also scheduled to host an event at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on November 8. For sure, Jo Nattawut supporters will flock to the venue if he gets the call for ONE 170.

Jo Nattawut can bring 26 pounds of gold back to Atlanta

Jo Nattawut smoked Luke Lessei at ONE Fight Night 17 last year, earning him a rematch with reigning featherweight Muay Thai kingpin Tawanchai PK Saenchai.

The sequel to this epic rivalry will take place at ONE 167, live on US Primetime, on June 7 inside Bangkok's Impact Arena.

The full event is free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.