ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai is eyeing ONE Championship gold in a second sport. At ONE 172 on Sunday, March 23, the Thai star will meet Masaaki Noiri for the ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Championship. The high-stakes showdown puts Tawanchai one win away from one of his biggest goals.
“How important is this fight? Very important. Because it will help me reach my dream of becoming a two-sport World Champion in the featherweight division, which is packed with elite fighters. It’s the most popular division and the hardest division,” Tawanchai stated to ONE.
Tawanchai Looks To Make Sunday Miserable Night for Masaaki Noiri at ONE 172
After a sterling title defense at ONE 170 over Superbon, Tawanchai is riding high heading into his next title opportunity. This time, he will be going into hostile territory. Noiri benefits from competing at home in Japan inside Saitama Super Arena.
The calm before the storm 🌪️ Tawanchai and Masaaki Noiri are ready to go toe-to-toe for the ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Championship this Sunday at ONE 172 in Japan! Have you got your early-bird PPV yet? 😎
Buy ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on PPV NOW 👉… pic.twitter.com/SX4zAGjxOH
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) March 19, 2025
Tawanchai Embracing Challenge of Fighting in Japan Sunday
However, the new city and venue are not a daunting task for the Thai athlete. He is laser-focused on what Noiri brings into the ring. As primarily a Muay Thai striker, Tawanchai is steadfast in his approach against a former K-1 titleholder.
“I feel excited. I have to fight in Japan. I have to fight in his country. He is a K-1 Champion. He has more experience than me. If anyone wants to look down on him, or my fans say that he is an easy match for me or something, I tell you, he’s anything but easy. Even though he lost the first two fights in ONE, he’s definitely not a weak opponent. He won’t let me bully him easily. Trust me. This man is a Kickboxing Champion. He’s fighting in his home country, so he won’t give up easily,” the featherweight great remarked.
Tawanchai Approaching ONE 172 Tilt vs. Noiri as Must-Win Fight
Tawanchai balked at offering a prediction but noted that he felt he could not lose this matchup. His personal goals demand a victory. It is that renewed focus on a new sport that has Tawanchai locked in ahead of ONE 172.
“For my preparation for this fight, I’m changing my technique a little bit. And I have to study more about the kickboxing rules, how it’s scored, and everything. I just keep telling myself, ‘Don’t use elbows.’ But I’m a fighter who rarely uses elbows or clinch and knees, so I just need to change my tactics a little bit,” the Thai athlete commented.
Tawanchai Hungry for Double-Champ Status
If 2024 was about proving his critics wrong, 2025 is about tackling new challenges. Tawanchai is already considered one of the top pound-for-pound strikers on the planet, but officially becoming a two-sport World Champion would help solidify that assertion. On March 23, he has a chance to emphatically put himself in that discussion on one of the year’s most spectacular events.
Tawanchai’s road to two-sport glory continues 🏆 Can he rise to the occasion and claim the interim featherweight kickboxing crown against Masaaki Noiri at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang? Get your PPV now to witness history! 👑
Buy ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on PPV NOW 👉… pic.twitter.com/vKIXPrxiaw
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) March 18, 2025
“Compared to Muay Thai, let’s just say I love Muay Thai. Kickboxing is another challenge. I try to adjust my style to be the most suitable for kickboxing. This opportunity has come. I am ready to prove myself in another sport,” Tawanchai said.
ONE 172 airs live on Sunday, March 23, at 3 a.m. ET/midnight PT. The action hails from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. The event is available to purchase on global pay-per-view via watch.onefc.com.
