‘I Can’t Lose’ – Tawanchai Determined To Defeat Masaaki Noiri And Achieve Two-Sport Glory At ONE 172
Tawanchai PK Saenchai is on a mission to prove he owns the all-around skills needed to conquer two different striking disciplines.
This Sunday, March 23, the Thai superstar will venture into enemy territory to face decorated Japanese striker Masaaki Noiri for the ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Title at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, live on pay-per-view from the legendary Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
As the reigning ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion who hasn’t tasted defeat since 2021, Tawanchai has done plenty to prove his dominance in “the art of eight limbs.” He’s now turning his attention to the bigger gloves of kickboxing and his quest for two-sport glory.
The 25-year-old knockout artist knows that ONE’s featherweight kickboxing division is traditionally home to the sport’s biggest stars – and that’s exactly why he’s so excited to pursue the divisional crown.
He spoke to onefc.com about the massive opportunity at ONE 172:
“How important is this fight? Very important. Because it will help me reach my dream of becoming a two-sport World Champion in the featherweight division, which is packed with elite fighters. It’s the most popular division and the hardest division.”
The PK Saenchai representative will have his hands full against the well-rounded and ultra-aggressive Noiri. The Japanese fan favorite arrived in ONE with a long list of accolades and plenty of hype but suffered hard-fought decision losses to elite opponents in his first two appearances.
Noiri then bounced back to the win column with a sensational leg-kick stoppage victory, proving that the lofty expectations were justified.
While some fans might be questioning if Noiri deserves a crack at the interim gold, Tawanchai does not agree. He pointed out that his foe possesses a wealth of high-level kickboxing experience and will have the full backing of a partisan crowd in Saitama:
“I feel excited. I have to fight in Japan. I have to fight in his country. He is a K-1 Champion. He has more experience than me. If anyone wants to look down on him, or my fans say that he is an easy match for me or something, I tell you, he’s anything but easy.
“Even though he lost the first two fights in ONE, he’s definitely not a weak opponent. He won’t let me bully him easily. Trust me. This man is a Kickboxing Champion. He’s fighting in his home country, so he won’t give up easily.”
Tawanchai and his team have carefully studied Noiri, identified his weaknesses, and devised a game plan to exploit them. However, he’s not about to divulge those secrets just yet.
Although he’s tight-lipped about how he sees the World Title clash playing out, Tawanchai promises that he’ll be leaving Japan as a two-sport titleholder:
“What will the fight look like? I can’t predict the future, but I know I can’t lose.”
Tawanchai Discusses Switch From Muay Thai To Kickboxing
Tawanchai PK Saenchai knows he will have to make key stylistic adjustments when switching from Muay Thai to kickboxing.
His last three fights were successful defenses of the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title, so he’s naturally changed up his camp in preparation for a lifelong kickboxer in Masaaki Noiri:
“For my preparation for this fight, I’m changing my technique a little bit. And I have to study more about the kickboxing rules, how it’s scored, and everything.
“I just keep telling myself, ‘Don’t use elbows.’ But I’m a fighter who rarely uses elbows or clinch and knees, so I just need to change my tactics a little bit.”
Ultimately, Tawanchai is a Muay Thai fighter to his core.
His journey to the top of the kickboxing world, he added, is another chance to test his overall skills against world-class opposition and another step toward his goal of cementing himself as the pound-for-pound best:
“Compared to Muay Thai, let’s just say I love Muay Thai. Kickboxing is another challenge. I try to adjust my style to be the most suitable for kickboxing.”
“This opportunity has come. I am ready to prove myself in another sport.”
