ONE bantamweight Muay Thai fighter Saemapetch Fairtex requested a rematch with Mohamed Younes Rabah.
In December 2023, Saemapetch looked to establish a two-fight winning streak when he was matched up against promotional newcomer Younes Rabah at ONE Fight Night 17. Unfortunately for the Thai fighter, ‘The Eagle’ utilized his size advantage and pulled off a first-round knockout win.
On Friday night, February 16, Saemapetch and Younes Rabah will meet again in an immediate rematch at ONE Fight Night 19. Ahead of the bantamweight matchup, the Fairtex affiliate joined ONE for an interview and had this to say about requesting an opportunity to avenge his recent loss:
“I asked ONE Championship that I wanted a rematch with Mohamed. And when they gave me the green light, I started practicing. I've been practicing for more than two months.”
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ONE Fight Night 19 will take place inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The entire event can be seen live and for free by North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Saemapetch Fairtex doesn’t plan on ‘making the same mistake twice’ against Mohamed Younes Rabah
Several things went wrong when Saemapetch Fairtex first fought Mohamed Younes Rabah. At ONE Fight Night 19, Saemapetch is focused on not making those same mistakes to ensure he returns to the win column. During an interview with ONE, the action-packed Thai fighter had this to say about his rematch with Younes Rabah:
“Mohamed, I’m gonna pay you back on that day. This time I won't make the same mistake twice.”
Despite losing against Mohamed Younes Rabah, Saemapetch Fairtex remains in the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai rankings at the fourth spot. Therefore, a win against Younes Rabah would give Saemapetch an argument for deserving a world title shot against reigning king Jonathan Haggerty.
Meanwhile, Younes Rabah has an opportunity at ONE Fight Night 19 to prove his promotional debut wasn’t a fluke. With another win against Saemapetch, ‘The Eagle’ would likely become ranked and put the division on notice.
Watch Younes Rabah knock out Saemapetch in their first fight at ONE Fight Night 17 below: