“Smokin” Jo Nattawut went toe-to-toe with Tawanchai PK Saenchai in a featherweight kickboxing duel. Although many fans thought he should have gotten his arm raised, Tawanchai picked up the win. Now, he is ready to return to Muay Thai at ONE Fight Night 17 and make a bid for a rematch against the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion.
Jo Nattawut Eyes ONE’s Saenchai for Muay Thai Gold
On December 8th, on Prime Video, “Smokin” Jo will take on Luke Lessei as ONE Championship returns to U.S. primetime. The American will make his promotional debut with eyes on shocking the 34-year-old and joining the title hunt. But Nattawut is already hard at work breaking down his opponent.
“With his style, he likes to play a lot. He’s a tricky guy, plays a lot. Yeah, that’s it. That’s what we see,” Nattawut told ONE.
In his last outing, Nattawut came in on short notice. This time, the Thai athlete has had a full camp to prepare. The 34-year-old has focused on being in prime form to show the U.S. audience his skills in primetime.
“When it comes to me, fight camp, I always make sure it’s about me. It’s not about my opponent. I don’t think about my opponent. I’m thinking about, ‘OK, me, just sharpen my weapons,’ you know? I want to go fast. I want to hit hard. I want to go fast. Make sure you’re on point, and that’s it for me,” Nattawut explained.
The turnaround from his October matchup has Nattawut feeling even more comfortable for his return. Although he went three hard rounds with Tawanchai, Nattawut came out without any injuries. It allowed him to get back in the gym and keep in shape without any downtime.
“To me, my body is still ready. It’s still good. So I can see my body is still up there at the top. So after the fight, you know, I didn’t feel pain at all. I just got ready and jumped right into training camp, which is good,” Nattawut said.
Following his loss to Tawanchai, Nattawut is hungry for another crack at his compatriot. However, “Smokin” Jo is adamant that his window for the opportunity is closing quickly. He has no plans to compete past his prime.
Still, he wants a shot at the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Championship. With that goal in mind, showing out at ONE Fight Night 17 provides a big opportunity for the Thai athlete. He plans to use the Prime Video platform and set himself up for a final run at the gold in 2024.
“I just turned 34, and I’m at my last gas tank right now. Any fight can be my last fight. So my ultimate goal, the goal is I want to fight – I really want to fight for the title before I retire. Because I’m not the guy saying, ‘Oh, I’m gonna fight until 40, until 38.’ No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Me? Maybe like one year, maybe another half year. Who knows? And again, this is the last gas tank for me. So fighting for the title would be really nice,” Nattawut stated.
ONE Fight Night 17 airs live on Prime Video on Friday, December 8. The action begins at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST. The event is free for all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada.
