Tawanchai PK Saenchai defended ONE Championship gold in 2024, but the majority decision win over Jo Nattawut did not satisfy him. On Friday, January 24, he will try to up his game and perform up to his personal standard of excellence. He will defend the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Championship against Superbon in the main event of ONE 170.
Tawanchai Ready to Put Last Year Behind Ahead of Tilt vs. Superbon in ONE 170 Friday
“I can’t say that 2024 was a good year for me. I was down mentally and physically. But now, I’m bouncing back and ready to start this year strong,” Tawanchai stated to ONE.
The decision win against “Smokin” Jo was contentious. The crowd showered the result with boos, leaving the Thai star perplexed. The response forced Tawanchai to unplug himself from the outside world and eliminate the noise.
“At that time, I cut myself off from social media. I didn’t want to know anything. I felt disappointed and frustrated. But I’m not the judges. I just did my job. But I don’t understand why everyone booed me so much,” Tawanchai said.
Cold-blooded 🥶 Who’s ready to witness Tawanchai’s rematch with Superbon at ONE 170?
#ONE170 | Jan 24 6:30PM ICT/6:30AM ET
🌎 Live TV broadcast in 190+ countries (check local listings)
🌎 Also available on ONE YouTube and ONE Facebook (geo-restrictions may apply)
🌎… pic.twitter.com/DfNtr6Ilj0— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) January 18, 2025
Tawanchai Hopeful For Better Effort This Time Around
Still, the 25-year-old admits it was not his finest performance. With space from his last outing, Tawanchai has been able to reflect on the things that went right and the things that went wrong. When he returns to Bangkok, Thailand, he plans to use the knowledge to shine under the bright lights.
“The last fight made me grow. I learned a lot. I saw what was wrong, a lot of things. I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s how it is.’ I learned from my mistakes. It gave me a lot of experience,” the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion remarked.
It was not all about an uncharacteristic showing by the PK Saenchai star. Tawanchai also had nagging injuries that needed to be addressed. As he healed, Tawanchai watched film and focused on the mental growth he needed to hit the next stage of his evolution.
Tawanchai Back at Full Strength For Rematch
“After my last fight, the doctor told me to take two to three months off to recover from my injury. Now, I am 100 percent recovered. When I take a break from training, I watch my own videos to find my mistakes so that I can fix them and restore my faith or make those who don’t believe in me to believe and follow me again,” the defending champion offered.
Tawanchai is no stranger to Superbon. The two met at ONE Friday Fights 46 in 2023, with Tawanchai edging him by majority decision. Rejuvenated, the 25-year-old has worked alongside his coaches to return in peak form. The reigning featherweight king is set to show the world the latest version of one of the most spectacular strikers on the planet on January 24.
“I trained super hard for this fight. My boss, the PK Saenchai owner, is supervising me every day. I saw the results from the last fight, and it hurt. It made me think that I had to improve and change myself,” Tawanchai said.
ONE 170 airs live on Friday, January 24, from Bangkok, Thailand. The action begins at 6:30 a.m. EST/3:30 a.m. PST. The event is free on ONE’s official YouTube channel.