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To be the best, you've got to beat the best. The culmination of Tawanchai PK. Saenchai’s years of hard work and dedication came full circle at ONE 161 after he ended Petchmorakot Petchyindee’s reign as the ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion.
The 23-year-old Thai superstar’s crowning moment finally happened this Thursday, September 29, inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium. It certainly wasn’t easy, but the young fighter passed the test with flying colors in the most important fifteen minutes of his life.
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After exchanging customary pleasantries, the challenger and champion went right to work and traded long-range teep kicks. While Petchmorakot got his licks in, it was evident that the hungry challenger’s strikes carried more weight and power. That set the tone for the rest of the fight. The grizzled world champion used movement and precise striking to score some points, while Tawanchai took those shots like a pro and aggressively moved forward to land dynamic combinations of his own.
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The Petchyindee Academy star’s experience showed midway through the fight when he closed the distance and roughened up his younger counterpart with vicious knees and elbows in the clinch. Not to be outdone, the challenger dug deep in the championship rounds and started to pull away. After gouging the distance with his kicks, the No.1-ranked contender let his hands go and punished Petchmorakot with his crisp boxing.
Both fierce warriors left it all on the line in the final stanza, but it was Tawanchai’s kicks, and signature left punches that left a bigger impression on the judges’ scorecards. His unanimous decision win improved his overall record to 128-31-2, and he also snapped Petchmorakot’s erstwhile pristine 5-0 streak inside the circle.
The possibilities are endless now that there’s a new kingpin in the promotion’s featherweight Muay Thai ranks. With that in mind, let’s look at three possible scenarios for the newly crowned world champion, Tawanchai PK. Saenchai.
#3. Chase two-sport supremacy versus Superbon
While defending his newly won crown should be the first order of business for the new 155-pound champion, his star power commands even greater challenges. If ONE decides to book another massive champion versus champion crossover match-up, Tawanchai might just be the next golden goose.
Imagine the Thai megastar standing across the circle against ONE kickboxing featherweight world champion Superbon Singha Mawynn. Now that’s a sight for sore eyes. The promotion can’t go wrong by pitting the 155-pound kings of both striking arts against each other. The pair’s aggressive yet technical styles will be a match made in heaven for knockout-hungry fans.
Superbon has already bared his desire to test the waters in Muay Thai or MMA. This might be the perfect time to do so, and ONE must strike while the iron is still hot.
#2. Conquer two divisions against Nong-O
Tawanchai has already unseated a tenured world champion, so how about we give him a shot against another one? Nong-O Gaiyanghadao is arguably the most untouchable fighter in the promotion right now.
He's won all nine of his fights inside the circle, with the last one being a dominant TKO victory over Liam Harrison by way of vicious leg kicks. While Tawanchai will have to go down in weight for this one, he’s used to jumping multiple weight classes during his early days in the Muay Thai circuit. Nong-O is also running out of suitable challengers and would welcome a stiff challenge in Tawanchai.
If this dream fight ever materializes, this would be a classic old-school versus new-era match-up. Nong-O, of course, is the complete package, bringing in a mix of grit, toughness, and composure every time he fights. He’s also a calculated destroyer who methodically waits for the right time to unleash his destructive power. The same qualities can be said of the newly-crowned champion, and it will be interesting to see how a fight between the two will play out.
#1. An immediate rematch with Petchmorakot
Petchmorakot was the inaugural ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion. He governed the division with an iron fist and successfully defended his throne four times until Tawanchai came along.
While the fight ended in a unanimous decision victory for the new champion, it was a lot closer than it seemed. Some pundits even believe that Petchmorakot dictated the pace of that fight.
Every time Tawanchai tried to push the tempo, the 28-year-old Thai destroyer was able to slow it down to his own liking. He even caught Tawanchai napping a couple of times and hit him with precise counter shots throughout five rounds.
Petchmorakot believed he did enough to win, as he looked confident heading into the final verdict. Imagine his disbelief when Dom Lau uttered the words “and new.” While obviously disappointed, Petchmorakot still showed class and congratulated the young gun for his massive career milestone.
Given the nature of how that match ended, it’s not a far-fetched idea for these two to run it back. In the past, we’ve seen former champions who didn’t come close to pulling off a performance as Petchmorakot did, receive immediate world title rematches based on merit alone. It will be a shame if Petchmorakot does not get the benefit of the doubt. He certainly deserves it.
