“The tourists would give us tips” - Tawanchai PK Saenchai recalls his unlikely start in Muay Thai as a schoolboy in Thailand

Tawanchai PK Saenchai's start to his Muay Thai journey was far from the ordinary.

The ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion revealed in an interview with Mark Abbott that he started fighting when he was seven years old in the resort city of Pattaya in Thailand.

Tawanchai said he knocked out a four-year-old boy who was already more experienced than he was in the sport.

Although they were still schoolchildren, Tawanchai said he and his younger opponent were already using all the tools in Muay Thai, including elbows and knees.

He said:

"It was full professional Muay Thai. I didn't get paid, it was at a tourist by the beach. Yeah, a beach bar in Pattaya. The tourists would give us tips. I got lots of tips for knocking out a four-year-old kid. I was seven, he was four, I knocked him out with a kick."

Tawanchai PK Saenchai added:

"He was much more experienced than me, he'd also had 10 to 20 fights already. I was seven years old, but this was my very first fight. So I went for it with a kick and I won by knockout. So proud to KO a four-year-old! That's actually a true story. He might have been five years old. He was smaller than me but more experienced."

From his early days of earning tips from tourists, Tawanchai ultimately evolved into one of this generation's best fighters.

Tawanchai reached superstardom when he dethroned Petchmorakot Petchyindee for the ONE featherweight Muay Thai world title at ONE 161 in September 2022 in Singapore.

He's since defended the gold four times against Jamal Yusupov, Jo Nattawut, and ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion Superbon.

Tawanchai now looks at two-sport glory when he faces Masaaki Noiri for the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world title at ONE 172 on March 23 at the historic Saitama Super Arena.

Tickets for ONE 172 are available at EPlus, and the entire card will be streamed live at watch.onefc.com.

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Tawanchai PK Saenchai promises fireworks against Masaaki Noiri at ONE 172

Tawanchai PK Saenchai is undoubtedly one of the most exciting fighters in ONE Championship, and he promised to bring that brand of electricity when he takes on Masaaki Noiri at ONE 172.

In the card's recent press conference in Tokyo, Tawanchai vowed to deliver absolute madness for his shot at the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world title:

"Hello everyone, I'm happy that I have a chance to fight in Japan. And I have to fight against kickboxing champion. This fight going to be exciting. Stay tuned, everyone."