Jo Nattawut Wants To Crown Epic Career With ‘High-Paced’ World Title Win Over Tawanchai
“Smokin” Jo Nattawut raised a lot of eyebrows when he pushed Tawanchai PK Saenchai to his limits in their three-round kickboxing clash last October.
After stepping up on late notice and losing a close decision to his Thai compatriot, the 34-year-old veteran now wants to go one better when he challenges Tawanchai for the latter’s ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title in their rematch at ONE 167 on Prime Video.
Nattawut bounced back onto the winning track when he defeated Luke “The Chef” Lessei in December and. Now with a full training camp, the #3-ranked contender is confident he can give Tawanchai another tough night inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Impact Arena.
Sharing his thoughts on earning a rematch for the gold on Friday, June 7, “Smokin” Jo said:
“I thought I was going to get the fight. I looked at the rankings – they have rankings for a reason, right? So, we all knew it was coming, and also the fans of ONE wanted to see it.
“And Tawanchai just beat Superbon, too, so it’s a perfect time for the fight to happen.”
In their initial meeting, Nattawut stepped up to face Tawanchai on less than two weeks’ notice at ONE Fight Night 15, replacing an injured Superbon, and the pair put on a barnburner of a battle for nine grueling minutes.
Now with a potential 15 minutes over five World Championship rounds, the pair will have even more time to slug it out, but “Smokin” Jo doesn’t think that will affect the intensity.
He said:
“Three or five rounds are not much different. Of course, it’s longer. There’s some difference, but not much. It’ll be high-paced for sure, and I can see it going to a decision because of the way things are.
“There’s going to be a lot of kicks, a lot of hands exchanged. That’s all I can see, but if it’s anything else, we will have to see in the ring. Things always change, things always happen in the moment.
“All I can say is this is going to be a fun fight.”
Jo Nattawut Ready To Go With The Flow In Tawanchai Rematch
With three rounds already banked against Tawanchai PK Saenchai, Jo Nattawut has a better idea of what to expect when he takes on the surging 25-year-old for a second time.
That doesn’t mean this fight will be any easier, but “Smokin” Jo plans to start where he left off – slinging heavy leather and taking the fight to the PK Saenchai man from the opening bell.
Nattawut, however, knows a fighter as cerebral as Tawanchai can constantly change his strategy, so he won’t make any big decisions until he’s toe-to-toe with his rival in the Circle.
He said:
“Tawanchai, he’s the king of the division. If you want to beat him, you have to be really, really good. Really clever.
“This is just like the next round to me. The plan is not complicated. We just go in there and see what’s going to happen and figure it out from there. Going with the flow would be the best way, for me.”
Nattawut has paid his dues in ONE, facing the best of the best in both kickboxing and Muay Thai, and his recent performances have finally earned him a shot at the biggest prize.
At 34, the Thai star knows he hasn’t got much longer left in his career. So he’s determined to make the most of his opportunity to win the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title on June 7.
Ready to put a stamp on an epic career, Nattawut said:
“The World Title would mean my work has been successful. I’m at the end of my career. Everywhere I go, I always get the title. So this is another belt to prove that I am really a champion.”
