Singtongnoi Will Unleash His Elbows To Defeat Savvas Michael

Muay Thai icon Singtongnoi Por Telakun expects to have his work cut out against Savvas “The Baby Face Killer” Michael, but he has never been more motivated to win on his return to his homeland.

The Lumpinee Stadium and WMC Muay Thai World Champion will head back to Thailand to compete at ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT in Bangkok’s Impact Arena.

This flyweight match will see the 38-year-old pull on 4-ounce gloves again to face a man 18 years his junior. However, Singtongnoi has worked on some dangerous weapons to defeat a man who he believes has a big youth and strength advantage.

Savvas is a WMC Muay Thai World Champion who has only been defeated once in 31 professional bouts, but the Singapore resident will enter his 303rd contest in search of his 221st win, and he believes his lifetime in the ring will be a key factor in the outcome of this contest.

“Because of the age difference I expect him to be stronger than me,” he admits.

“I really need to make sure to be ready and well conditioned, but I still have the advantage in experience, which I think will be my greatest asset in this fight.”

This will be Singtongnoi’s third match with The Home Of Martial Arts. He began with a brilliant TKO of Joseph “The Hurricane” Lasiri last May before he returned at ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES to defeat Masahide Kudo via unanimous decision.

The chance to compete and get his hand raised in his homeland for the first time after his recovery from cancer – and on one of ONE’s biggest ever events – was one of the highlights of his long career.

“It was a lot of fun fighting in Bangkok – it was such a huge opportunity for me to get to compete on such a great card. ONE is a world-class organization, and it is an honor for me to be included,” he adds.

“Back in the day, there weren’t opportunities like this for fighters. The sport has really grown since my days of competing, and I am happy to get to still be a part of it all.”

Now, he has the chance to feel the roar from his compatriots again on 10 May, and he is pulling out all the stops for his toughest assignment on the global stage for martial arts.

The WMC Muay Thai World Champion trains out of Bangkok’s Petchyindee Academy, and was considered to be one of the best foreigners on the Thai circuit before he joined ONE.

“He’s got good punches, especially his body shots,” Singtongnoi says.

“I’ll need to be extra careful wearing the small gloves. I wore them for my debut in Singapore, but my opponent wasn’t much of a boxer.

“I’m working a lot on my elbows – I think they will work well for me in this fight. As for everything else, it is training as usual.”

Few places offer Muay Thai practitioners the resources to prepare for a bout like Evolve, where Singtongnoi trains alongside many other legends of his sport – including ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, who will defend his belt in the main event on 10 May.

Surrounded by so many of his peers, the 38-year-old’s passion to compete was reignited, and he has never had such an outstanding support network to drive him toward greatness.

“It is a lot of fun working at Evolve. I’m proud to work here among so many elite fighters,” he says.

“I train every day and feel good doing it. I still want to compete and feel my body can do it. I love fighting, and this a great opportunity for me – I want to take advantage of it.”

One more motivating factor for Singtongnoi is his opportunity to compete in front of his biggest fans.

Most of the audience in the Impact Arena will cheer for one of their national heroes, but none will be louder than his loved ones.

“Lots of people from my family will be coming to watch me. I’m really happy because I don’t get to see them a lot,” he adds.

“They will definitely give me the motivation I need to win!”