Tawanchai ONE 172: FREE FULL FIGHT: Thai megastar Tawanchai PK Saenchai starts world title reign with gnarly finish of Jamal Yusupov in Bangkok

ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai has held the gold since September 2022, and he kickstarted his reign with an unforgettable defense in February the following year.

Taking place in the co-headliner of the action-packed ONE Fight Night 7 card, the Thai megastar welcomed his first challenger for the gold, decorated Turkish standout Jamal Yusupov, with a deluge of strikes to open their bout.

The champion excellently utilized his kicks to prevent the Hyperion Fighters affiliate from getting within range and unleashing his elbows. Not even a minute into their world title tilt, Tawanchai landed a meteoric kick to Yusupov's right leg that left him limping.

When asked by referee Olivier Coste if he could continue, 'Yeniceri' shook his head, while a triumphant Tawanchai celebrated the TKO stoppage in the background.

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Rewatch the entire fight below, which ONE posted on YouTube:

The PK Saenchai Muay Thai Gym product has defended the 155-pound Muay Thai crown a total of four times, and fans are eagerly waiting for the world's largest martial arts promotion to announce when he will next put the gold on the line.

Superbon hopes Tawanchai will learn from his first stoppage loss in ONE

ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion Superbon was among the many who were surprised by Tawanchai's TKO defeat to Masaaki Noiri last month over the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world championship at ONE 172.

The Superbon Training Camp founder shared his thoughts in an interview with the promotion, saying:

"Many years ago, I suffered the same way - getting knocked out in my first few fights. But it gave me a lesson that like, 'Come on, I got to hit like this, too'. So I changed my style, and switched my weapons to become more skilled."

Watch the entire interview below:

About the author

Karl has been an MMA writer at Sportskeeda since 2023. He holds a Bachelor of Arts major in history, which helps him pay attention to the finer details while writing, and also has first-hand experience in boxing. He has a total experience of 5 years, and has worked for the International Business Times.

Karl turned into an MMA fan back in 2011 after watching Tito Ortiz defeat Ryan Bader via first-round submission at UFC 132. He has interviewed ONE world champions like Eduard Folayang, Joshua Pacio, Stamp Fairtex, and Tawanchai in his career so far.

On the non-MMA side of things, he interviewed WWE superstar Matt Riddle in 2021 and his question about Roman Reigns elicited an interesting answer which was widely covered by outlets like Sportskeeda and Cultaholic Wrestling's YouTube channel. He has also interviewed NBA stars Dwight Howard, Nick Young, Andre Roberson, Shabazz Muhammad, Jason Williams and Brian Scalabrine plus Filipino women's volleyball star Alyssa Valdez.

Karl ensures to double-check facts before using them in articles, and reads up on potential topics for pieces a day before. In his off time, he likes to play video games, and keep up with basketball and pro wrestling.

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Edited by Harvey Leonard