‘The KO Is Inevitable’ – Mohamed Younes Rabah Plans To Silence Doubters With Another Finish Of Saemapetch
Mohamed “The Eagle” Younes Rabah wants to leave no doubt about his superiority over #4-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Saemapetch Fairtex when they rematch at ONE Fight Night 19: Haggerty vs. Lobo on Prime Video.
The Algerian rising star earned a career-best victory when he knocked out Saemapetch at ONE Fight Night 17 in December. But with some controversy surrounding that finish, Rabah plans to prove that his win was no fluke when they meet again in U.S. primetime this Friday, February 16.
After trading knockdowns throughout a wild first round in their last fight, “The Eagle” dropped Saemapetch for the second time. However, a late knee hit the Thai star when he was on the canvas, leading some to question the result.
For his part, Rabah doesn’t think that knee had any impact on the way the matchup was going. The 26-year-old is also adamant that it will be no different this time around:
“What excites me most about this fight is the opportunity to prove myself once again, to leave no stone unturned in silencing the doubters. That’s the real thrill for me in this one.
“I’ve already apologized for that knee incident. It wasn’t intentional. It just happened in the heat of the moment. However, if you watch the entire fight, you’ll see that I had already dropped him once. Honestly, even if that knee incident hadn’t occurred, I don’t think it would have changed the outcome of the fight.”
Another factor in the last meeting was that Rabah stepped in as a late injury replacement. Now, he’s had more time to get ready for Saemapetch.
So, although he got the result he wanted, the unbeaten phenom believes he’s in a much better place to battle the longtime contender – and he expects to finish him once again.
Rabah explained:
“Everything’s different this time around. In my last fight, it was all about scrambling to get ready with just a week’s notice, between game planning and making weight.
“But now, I’ve had a full camp to prepare properly. From securing the right sparring partners to ensuring I hit weight correctly, everything’s been dialed in. Technically, physically, and tactically, I’ve made significant adjustments. And mentally, I’m in a much better place. I feel completely ready for this fight.
“It won’t be any different from the last fight. I’ll just remove that last knee, but other than that, the KO is inevitable. It’s going to be a first-round KO.”
Rabah Thinks He Can Crack Saemapetch’s ‘Soft Chin’
Mohamed Younes Rabah is expecting another victory against a man who formerly challenged for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.
He made a name for himself on the global stage with the stunning knockout of Saemapetch Fairtex in December, and he wants to firmly cement himself among the top strikers on the planet.
He knows the Thai veteran is dangerous, but he’s confident in his ability to shut down their head-to-head rivalry with a 2-0 slate:
“Saemapetch has got a solid left hand, and he times it pretty effectively. To deal with that, I’ve been focusing on utilizing angles and constantly moving to his right to disrupt his rhythm and neutralize his strengths.
“I believe my biggest advantage in this fight lies in my mental strength. On a technical level, I have the height and reach advantage. I can control the distance in this fight, and when it comes to close range, that dog in me is always ready for a war.”
Rabah also thinks Saemapetch has a glaring weakness despite beating some elite names in his illustrious career.
Above all, “The Eagle” doesn’t think his opponent’s defense is good enough to deal with his power, which will ultimately lead to another stoppage.
He added:
“I can see many holes in his game. He has a tendency of dropping his hands which will get him in trouble against someone like me. Additionally, his overall defense seems lacking, and he has a soft chin that I can crack.”
