Tawanchai Happy To Silence His Critics With TKO Win Over Superbon In Rematch At ONE 170
It’s safe to say that Thai superstar Tawanchai PK Saenchai has gotten his groove back.
On January 24, the 25-year-old successfully defended his ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title with a sensational second-round TKO victory over current ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon.
That highly anticipated rematch went down in front of a sold-out Thai crowd at Bangkok’s Impact Arena in the main event of ONE 170.
The fight at ONE 170 played out much differently than their unforgettable first World Title encounter in December 2023. In that bout at ONE Friday Fights 46, Tawanchai narrowly escaped with his gold, securing a hard-fought, five-round majority decision.
This time, the titleholder was able to see Superbon’s attacks more clearly and make the proper adjustments on his way to the finish.
Afterward, Tawanchai explained that he sensed his rival was primarily focused on counter-striking:
“I believe that Superbon prepared himself very well for this fight. I took the first round to feel the situation, to see what kind of game plan Superbon had brought for me, and I knew that he was trying to rely on counter-attacks. He tried to counter back after I kicked or punched him.”
While the first three minutes of the bout were closely contested, Tawanchai quickly took over in the second round. Once he identified Superbon’s game plan, he made the intelligent tactical adjustment to meet his foe’s counter-attacks with counters of his own.
That adjustment paid off in spades, and by 1:10 into the frame, Tawanchai had scored a trio of knockdowns to secure the win and retain his 26 pounds of gold.
He recalled:
“I figured out his plan, and coming into the second round, I adapted, and I tried to counter with everything that I had as well.
“But all in all, I believe that Superbon trained and planned for this fight very well.”
Heading into this matchup, Tawanchai openly admitted that he was down both physically and mentally over the past 12 months.
Despite emerging victorious in his previous battle with Superbon, he received plenty of criticism for his performance, with fans expecting nothing less than sheer dominance from the featherweight Muay Thai king.
Those criticisms stung, but the PK Saenchai man was able to tune out the negative voices, put in the hardest training camp of his life, and silence his doubters at ONE 170:
“I remember after we finished that last fight, I went back, and I was under a lot of pressure from online [critics], and I didn’t talk to anyone for weeks. It’s safe to say that I lost my fire back then.
“But then, I thought to myself, ‘These are just words. I only have to do better. I have to train harder.’ And now this time, I was able to prove that I am better.”
Tawanchai Targets Kickboxing World Title
Following his electrifying, bonus-winning finish of Superbon last Friday, Tawanchai PK Saenchai has his sights set on two-sport glory.
He was happy to walk away with an extra US$50,000, but immediately following the fight, his mind quickly went to the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title:
“It’s been a while since I earned that performance bonus. Now, my dream is complete. My next dream is to get that kickboxing belt on my other shoulder.”
Superbon currently holds the featherweight kickboxing crown, so Tawanchai might have to face him a third time on his quest for two-sport supremacy.
No matter how he accomplishes the feat, he’s determined to erase any lingering doubts that he’s the planet’s top pound-for-pound striker:
“My next dream is to get the kickboxing belt, and I want to become a two-sport World Champion. Some people are still talking down to me right now, but I will prove to everyone that I can get that belt.”
