Tawanchai vs Nattawut 2 Booked For ONE 167 In June
After their memorable tie in October 2023, ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai will once again throw down with familiar foe Jo Nattawut as the former begins his 2024 campaign – this time under Muay Thai rules.
The pair collide in the co-main event of ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga on Saturday, 8 June inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Impact Arena. And if their first battle was anything to go by, the sequel should be a much closer affair.
The Thai standouts first met under kickboxing rules at ONE Fight Night 15 last October, when Tawanchai was initially slated to battle former divisional kickboxing king Superbon Singha Mawynn. But when the featherweight great withdrew, Tawanchai accepted a late-notice contest with Nattawut.
Many expected the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion to navigate the situation tentatively given the late replacement, but that’s not what ensued at Bangkok, Thailand’s iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
Instead, fans were treated to an all-time kickboxing classic as Nattawut surprised Tawanchai by bringing the fight to him. And as a result, this forced Tawanchai to give back just as hard as an all-out war unfolded.
While Nattawut shocked Tawanchai in the early goings of the bout, the latter managed to flick the switch and find his path to victory with the unanimous decision in the non-title affair.
The fight reminded Tawanchai not to take any opposition lightly, because whether or not his World Title is on the line, the target on his back remains as large as ever.
Tawanchai then took the momentum from the three-round barnburner into ONE Friday Fights 46 this past December where he met the legendary Superbon in one of the biggest fights of the year.
If anything, knowing he could take the barrage of strikes from Nattawut only helped Tawanchai’s confidence going into the highly anticipated super-fight. And that seemed to show as Tawanchai overcame the former king after five thrilling rounds of kickboxing action.
Defeating Superbon proved to be the biggest scalp of Tawanchai’s career. But for his nemesis, Nattawut, defeating Tawanchai when the gold is on the line would certainly be the biggest achievement of his career.
His war with Tawanchai wasn’t just a one-off performance, either. “Smokin” showcased the same scintillating striking this past December at ONE Fight Night 17 in Thailand against American star Luke Lessei.
The pair traded hell for leather in the most memorable bout of the evening as Nattawut picked apart Lessei over three rounds to return to the win column in ONE Championship.
It certainly appears that Nattawut has turned a corner in recent outings. And if he can show off his brutal striking once more, he could walk away with the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title draped over his shoulder.
