Lito Adiwang says change in rule set for Jo Nattawut rematch only plays into Tawanchai's favor: "This is still the champ's area"

ONE strawweight MMA contender Lito Adiwang believes that in a high stakes rematch between Tawanchai PK Saenchai and Jo Natrawut, the defending kingpin has the home field advantage.

In the co-main event of the evening, the ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion will return to defend his crown.

Standing across from him inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, will be Jo Nattawut, who he last faced back at ONE Fight Night 15 where the two men fought to a closely contested decision under kickboxing rules.

The divisional king got the win on that night but it was far from convincing but now that he is back under his preferred skillset, Adiwang believes that the challenger faces an uphill battle.

He told ONE Championship that the inclusion of elbows in this second meeting could make all the difference by better suiting the game of the defending champion:

"The only thing missing from their first fight were the elbows. That's the only thing that's been added to this fight, and this is still the champ's area. This is still Tawanchai's game."

Lito Adiwang knows that Tawanchai-Nattawut is about fine margins

Lito Adiwang is right to point out that even something as simple as changing the ruleset to make room for elbows can change the entire nature of a striking contest.

Tawanchai was pushed to the wire by Jo Nattawut last time they faced but his return to Muay Thai showed that the champion hasn't lost a step.

His performance at ONE Friday Fights 46, where he defeated Superbon to defend his title, showed how much better he can perform under the Muay Thai rules.

He will now look to make this statement once again by beating Nattawut for a second time in far more convincing fashion this time around.

ONE 167 will air live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, in U.S. primetime on June 7.