“I will try to beat his record” - Tawanchai looks to outlast Petchmorakot’s reign atop featherweight division

Newly crowned Muay Thai featherweight world champion Tawanchai PK. Saenchai vowed to surpass Petchmorakot’s 965-day reign in the division.

Last weekend, the Muay Thai prodigy made history at ONE 161 by becoming the first athlete to dethrone inaugural featherweight Muay Thai world champion Petchmorakot Petchyindee. In what you would expect from a world championship match, the athletes gave their fans a riveting five-round firefight worthy of ovation.

Still feeling the tingling sensation of victory a week later, Tawanchai hopes to carry on with the legacy Petchmorakot passed on to him by setting the bar higher. ONE Championship recently asked the 23-year-old stalwart how significant it was for him to end Petchmorakot's 965-day reign.

He replied:

“Yes, overall I feel glad to win and I want to send some support and care for Petchmorakot as well. As for this record, I will try to beat his record and keep this belt with me. Even if any of the challengers come and try to take this belt, I will keep this belt.”

Tawanchai made his first breakthrough at ONE Championship with a head-kick finish over Sean Clancy in May 2021. From that day onwards, the Pattaya native was on the rise to stardom.

Although the pathway to success didn’t come without its complications, making the right decision to move up to featherweight after experiencing difficulties making weight at 145lbs.

As a result of the change, he showed major improvements to his overall health. Inside the ring against Niclas Larsen at ONE 158, Tawanchai looked physically bigger and was sharper than his Dutch opponent. The 23-year-old fighter barely left any breathing room for the Dutchman, quickly finishing him in the second round by TKO punches.

Tawanchai showed that he can go head-to-head with the toughest Muay Thai strikers in the world, including the best this generation has seen in Petchmorakot. The victory speaks to his improvements as a fighter, and what fans could look forward to seeing from him as a champion.

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Tawanchai sees potential fight with Superbon an excellent challenge

According to Tawanchai, touching gloves with kickboxing idol Superbon Singha Mawynn would be the biggest highlight of his career.

The two superstars share a combined Muay Thai record of over 200 victories under their belts. A future showdown with the top strikers in the world is something fans may pay good money to watch.

On the subject, the Thai native told ONE Championship:

"I don’t think anyone is dangerous except for Superbon. He is superb and in top form right now. He is also my idol. I always study his training and his performances. But I am not afraid of him. I am ready to face him anytime.”