How Tyson Harrison And Seksan Became The Biggest Breakout Stars Of ONE Friday Fights
In January of this year, ONE Championship began hosting weekly Asia primetime fight cards at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Now, after more than 30 installments of ONE Friday Fights, two athletes – Tyson Harrison and Seksan Or Kwanmuang – have emerged as beloved breakout stars of the event series.
Both of those warriors will return to action on September 22 at ONE Friday Fights 34: Rodtang vs. Superlek, as Harrison takes on local hero Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai and Seksan squares off with Iranian-Malaysian striker Amir Naseri.
With that blockbuster card and those highly anticipated bouts rapidly approaching, we look back at each man’s incredible run in ONE Friday Fights.
Tyson ‘John Wayne Noi’ Harrison
Proudly sporting the moniker of Australian Muay Thai legend John Wayne Parr, the man known as “John Wayne Noi” burst onto the scene in January at ONE Friday Fights 1, when he went toe-to-toe with none other than Seksan.
That fight would prove to be an instant classic – perhaps the single most thrilling bout seen in the historic venue this year. And while Harrison would lose a narrow split decision, his fearless, all-action style immediately endeared him to the crowd and fans watching across the globe.
Harrison then returned in March at ONE Friday Fights 11 to battle Rambo Mor Rattanabandit. After nearly nine full minutes of high-paced Muay Thai action, he found himself battered and down on the scorecards.
But in the final moments of the last round, the 22-year-old found a home for a thunderous right hand to score a stunning, come-from-behind knockout and further entrench himself as a true breakout sensation.
Next, at ONE Friday Fights 18, Harrison dropped a hard-fought decision to former ONE World Title challenger Pongsiri PK Saenchai. But yet again, the Australian’s star power didn’t suffer one bit thanks to his ruthlessly aggressive and explosive approach to combat.
In his most recent performance, “John Wayne Noi” competed in his first ONE Friday Fights main event as he squared off with Tapaokaew Singha Mawynn. And much to the delight of the raucous Thai fans, he once again delivered a spectacular show, scoring a highlight-reel first-round knockout.
After four stellar outings, Harrison has turned himself into a household name in the ONE Friday Fights series, and he’ll look to build on that momentum this week.
Seksan ‘The Man Who Yields To No One’ Or Kwanmuang
With nearly 200 professional fights to his name, four-time Muay Thai World Champion Seksan Or Kwanmuang arrived in ONE with a reputation as one of the most dangerous athletes in the sport.
And ever since his barnburner victory over Tyson Harrison at ONE Friday Fights 1, “The Man Who Yields To No One” has further cemented his status as perhaps the most entertaining striker in Muay Thai.
After that unforgettable war, the 34-year-old Thai returned at ONE Friday Fights 9 to take on Romanian scrapper Silviu Vitez.
That evening, Seksan poured on his trademark forward pressure, overwhelming his foe with flurry upon flurry of massive strikes en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Then in April at ONE Friday Fights 14, he scored one of the most vicious stoppages in recent memory when he cut Sean Clancy wide open with a thunderous spinning elbow. With his third straight victory from that highlight-reel stoppage, Seksan had become a must-see star.
Next, in June at ONE Friday Fights 22, “The Man Who Yields To No One” faced dangerous British knockout artist Nathan Bendon.
In the first frame, Seksan took some of Bendon’s biggest shots – only to roar back in the second and third stanzas with ferocious offense of his own, bringing the Bangkok fans to their feet as he secured an electrifying decision victory.
Finally, in his latest appearance, the Thai superstar capped his epic five-fight run with a stunning knockout in the main event of ONE Friday Fights 29.
Taking on WBC Muay Thai World Champion Isaac Araya, Seksan was in top form as he forced the Spaniard on the defensive from the opening bell, ultimately scoring the stoppage early in the second frame.
Importantly, that victory also earned “The Man Who Yields To No One” a coveted six-figure, multi-fight contract with the ONE Championship.
He’ll now look to keep his incredible streak going against Naseri at ONE Friday Fights 34 this week.
