Muay Thai World Champion Tukkatatong Petpayathai Victorious In ONE Debut

Tukkatatong Petpayathai has officially arrived in ONE Championship.

On Friday, 29 June, the two-time Muay Thai World Champion made a captivating debut at ONE: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR.

He outworked Thailand-based Frenchman Mehdi “Diamond Heart” Zatout with a phenomenal display of striking in their ONE Super Series kickboxing tilt, which was contested at a catch weight of 67 kilograms.

As the action got underway inside the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar, it became clear this bout was a story of two different game plans – Tukkatatong looked to utilize his fierce kicks, while Zatout attempted to get close and use his boxing to do the damage.

Tukkatatong, a Thai who competes out of Singapore’s Evolve MMA, was the picture of patience. While he searched for an opening in his rival’s defense, he connected with several leg kicks, and came close to landing a head kick on several occasions.

“Diamond Heart” displayed solid defense, and pressured Tukkatatong against the cage with quick punching combinations.

The strategy seemed to work until the two-time Muay Thai World Champion uncorked a devastating counter left hand, which cracked Zatout on the chin and dropped him to the mat just as the first round came to an end.

Tukkatatong built upon his momentum in the second frame. He became the aggressor, stepped forward, and unleashed stinging combinations from the outside.

The Thai kept moving forward and patiently waited for the perfect opening to launch his offensive attack. Zatout was also a little more tentative, as he attempted to regain his footing after the jaw-dropping punch that put him down in the opening stanza.

In the final round, Tukkatatong was still landing with more efficiency.

The Frenchman did a tremendous job of evading his rival’s best shots. Unfortunately, for all the footwork and head movement that kept him from taking damage, Zatout never really managed to mount much of an effective counter-attack.

When it was over, Tukkatatong was awarded the unanimous decision victory.

He joins several of his teammates from Evolve MMA who have also found success in ONE Super Series, including Singtongnoi Por Telakun, Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, and ONE Super Series Muay Thai Flyweight World Champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao.

The Singapore-based Thai elevates his record to an even more astonishing 241-33-2, and will undoubtedly be back in the months to come.