Watch: Flashback to the highly contested Petchdam Petchyindee vs. Taiki Naito

In 2021, Taiki Naito had an extremely close decision victory over Petchdam Petchyindee. The Japanese fighter walked away from the match the victor but it was not an easy Muay Thai fight.

ONE Championship recently uploaded the thrilling contest to its YouTube channel.

Watch the highly contested ONE Championship Muay Thai match:

This close fight saw Naito score well with kicks to the rear leg to counter the Thai fighter's body kicks. The two spent much of the first round exchanging powerful kicks to the body and legs. Petchdam began to counter the kicks with punches and it paid off when a strong punch dropped Naito. In the final seconds of the first round, Naito landed a headkick that didn't seem to affect Petchdam.

In the second round, both fighters tried to be aggressive on the front foot as they exchanged shots in the center of the cage. Petchdam again landed a hard straight punch and Naito threw a headkick back in return. The Thai fighter threw two body kicks, one of which was caught by his opponent who scored a trip.

At the start of the third round, the fighters traded power kicks. Naito was able to catch another kick and returned with a combination of strikes. The two exchanged multiple flurries as the round drew to a close.

After the fight, the two Muay Thai combatants bowed to each other as a show of respect and honor. The judges awarded the fight to Taiki Naito. This victory punched his ticket to the ONE Muay Thai Flyweight Grand Prix.

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Taiki Naito in the ONE Grand Prix

The Japanese-born fighter has been practicing striking for most of his life. He began in karate before he even began school. He transitioned to kickboxing when he was still a teen. Before his ONE debut, he held titles in RISE and won championships in shoot boxing.

In ONE Championship, he has a combined Muay Thai and kickboxing record of 6-1. His lone loss was to perpetual contender Jonathan Haggerty.

On May 20 at ONE 157, Naito will be competing in the ONE Muay Thai Flyweight Grand Prix. This tournament will feature great fighters such as Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Haggerty, among others. In the tournament's opening round, Naito will face Thai fighter Superlek Kiatmoo9.

Taiki Naito will be aiming to add more titles to his illustrious record when he competes in this tournament.