“This is my division” - Ellis Badr Barboza recounts how he started from studying Prajanchai to challenging for Muay Thai gold

Ellis Badr Barboza's impending rivalry with Prajanchai PK Saenchai might just have the most interesting origin.

The British slugger will challenge the two-sport king for the ONE strawweight Muay Thai world title in the main event of ONE Fight Night 28 on Friday, US primetime, at the historic Lumpinee Stadium.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Badr Barboza revealed that he routinely watched and studied Prajanchai's fights during his cardio workouts.

Ellis Badr Barboza said:

"I’ve been following Prajanchai. Funny enough, I used to watch Prajanchai when I was in Dubai on the treadmill. I’d put his fights on, and I would study and say, ‘Okay, one day I want to fight in ONE Championship and this is my division.’"

Badr Barboza is one of Europe's best strikers and he achieved massive notoriety in the British regional scene when he captured the WBC European Muay Thai championship.

In December 2023, Badr Barboza made waves on the global stage when he folded Thai sensation Thongpoon PK Saenchai in his ONE Championship debut at ONE Fight Night 17.

He then outlasted Thai phenom Aliff Sor Dechapan at ONE Fight Night 23 to effectively secure his shot at Prajanchai's Muay Thai throne.

Prajanchai, though, is a different test altogether for Badr Barboza.

The Thai superstar also holds the ONE strawweight kickboxing world title and held multiple Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Stadium world titles before signing with the promotion in 2021.

Nevertheless, Badr Barboza is ready for his shot at glory against the man he diligently watched throughout his career.

ONE Fight Night 28 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

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Ellis Badr Barboza recalls how Muay Thai gave him a direction to succeed

To say that Ellis Badr Barboza had a rough childhood is a massive understatement.

In an interview with FightLore, Badr Barboza recalled how he, his mother, and sister had to bounce around hostels to find a roof over their heads when growing up.

It wasn't until he found Muay Thai that Badr Barboza discovered his purpose and a goal to achieve in hopes of helping his family escape their difficult situation:

"My childhood was fairly hard. I grew up without my father. Just my mum brought up me and my sister. So sometimes we were homeless. We were moving around, living in hostels. My mum struggles to make ends meet, you know. But I found Muay Thai, and I found a passion for Muay Thai when I was 12. And from that point, I was hooked on it. It gave me a focus and a goal in life," said Ellis Badr Barboza.