ONE Championship Stars Break Down Petchmorakot Vs. Yodsanklai
The co-main event of ONE: NO SURRENDER will feature a young lion facing a certified Muay Thai legend.
This coming Friday, 31 July, ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy will defend his coveted gold against “The Boxing Computer” Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex.
Petchmorakot won the division’s inaugural title in February with a flawless five-round performance at ONE: WARRIOR’S CODE in Jakarta, Indonesia.
In the Thai capital this Friday, he will be looking to defeat an icon and build his own legacy.
Meanwhile, Yodsanklai believes he can finish his compatriot and claim the title that’s eluded him during his nearly three-decade-long career in kickboxing and Muay Thai.
There is a lot at stake, and ONE Championship’s biggest stars have some strong opinions about the marquee showdown.
Hiroaki “Kaibutsukun” Suzuki
“Yodsanklai has an apparent offensive capability, and I love his fighting style. He is the same age as me, and our physiques are similar. Also, we are lefties, and I often learn a lot from him.
“On the other side, Petchmorakot is so skilled and he is smart. Some say Petchmorakot would take Yodsanklai out with his skills. But I am looking more into Yodsanklai’s performance.”
Josh “Timebomb” Tonna
“Petchmorakot and Yodsanklai is going to be a great fight. It’s kicks versus knees. Petchmorakot has had some great recent wins and experience, while Yodsanklai has had some hard fights, but I think he will be hungry and train hard for the win.
“I think it’s a better fight for Yodsanklai than he has had in the past, so I think he can pull off an upset and win.”
Gurdarshan “Saint Lion” Mangat
“This is another legendary fight!
“I have watched Yodsanklai live in Japan and was so impressed by him with his performance against Andy Souwer (ONE: A NEW ERA in March 2019). Petchmarokat was the main event against Petrosyan of the card that I fought on in Malaysia (ONE: MASTERS OF DESTINY in July 2019).
“Both have focused skills and precision, but I must go with Petchmarokat.”
Puja “The Cyclone” Tomar
“I hope this bout goes on for five rounds so that the fans can relish the entertainment thoroughly. It’s difficult to pick one, but I will have to go with Petchmorakot, as he is the champion and I think he will be able to defend the title.”
Yuta Watanabe
“I think the key to this bout will be how they attack each other in close range.
“Petchmorakot might be a slow starter, but he will try to get damage against his opponent beginning around the third round by using clinches and knees.
“In the meantime, I think Yodsanklai wants to attack in close range using punches. I wonder how he will close the distance since Petchmorakot has a longer reach.”
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Kenta Yamada
“Yodsanklai has had a longer career in fighting with non-Thai athletes, but this time, it is a bout between compatriots.
“In this case, I predict that Petchmorakot will play better and dominate the bout. And this prediction comes deeply from my personal experience of fighting with Petchmorakot.”
Kohei “Momotaro” Kodera
“Yodsanklai is a southpaw like me, so I have been following him for a long time and often learn a lot from him, like how to punch with mixed martial arts gloves.
“However, this time, I think the young and skillful Petchmorakot has more chances to win. He is taller and has a southpaw style, and those advantages make Petchmorakot a very gifted athlete. His attack from the left side is devastating, and he is so good at strategically escaping, too.
“When he competed against Kenta Yamada, he won enough points to win the bout in the early stanzas, and after that, he kept running away with the match strategically until the final bell rang. He has tactics like this in his toolbox.
“Even if Yodsanklai closes the distance to punch, Petchmorakot will still have the advantage in the clinch because he is taller than Yodsanklai.”
Elliot “The Dragon” Compton
“What a match-up! This bout is very intriguing. Yodsanklai has that brutal left kick, which could be negated by Petchmorakot’s ability to close the distance and keep it at a tighter range.
“However, this tactic can also play into Yodsanklai’s powerful and technical boxing skills, which we’ve seen him use time and time again. I think Petchmorakot could shut down Yodsanklai’s attacks – like we saw in the first Petrosyan bout – with his clinch and by applying his sharp knees and elbows.
“I think keys to victory in this one are Yodsanklai keeping it at kicking and boxing range, and for Petchmorakot to utilize his elbows, knees, and clinch.”
Eko Roni Saputra
“I fought on the same card with Petchmorakot in Jakarta in February (ONE: WARRIOR’S CODE). I think he was not at his best at that time.
“I think it’s going to be Yodsanklai who wins. His experience is unbelievable, and I met him during a seminar at Evolve in Singapore. His punch is good and his left kick is fast.
“Petchmorakot is taller, but I don’t think it will matter so much because they are the same weight after all. Petchmorakot, like many other tall guys, will try to land more head kicks. I think this is going to be decided through the judges’ scorecards.
“It will heavily depend on their abilities to read the game and anticipate the attacks. Other than that, it’s about endurance.”
“The Terminator” Sunoto
“I think this one is going to be the show-stealer. Yodsanklai is a legend, while Petchmorakot is the reigning champion and has the height advantage. I think it will be a decision, and Petchmorakot might still hold the title after that.
“Petchmorakot is on a winning streak, while Yodsanklai lost his last two fights. Naturally, this condition will affect fighters’ confidence and may distract their focuses. However, it’s Yodsanklai we are talking about, and I think he will try to redeem those losses.”
“No.1” Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat
“This one should be a really good fight. It’s quite hard to figure out who is going to be the winner.
“Yodsanklai can give quite a hit and he is very dangerous in close range, while Petchmorakot moves well and has excellent reactions. So, it’s 50-50. I cannot figure out who has the upper hand. We’ll have to see the fight to find out.”
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