ONE 172: “Noiri knows he has nothing to lose” - Buakaw raves about Masaaki Noiri’s fearless aura in title showdown with Tawanchai

At ONE 172 in Saitama last March, Masaaki Noiri went up against Tawanchai PK Saenchai for the interim ONE featherweight kickboxing world title and pulled off a huge upset in front of a Japanese crowd.

Noiri has already accomplished much by this time. He became a two-division K-1 champion before signing with ONE Championship, but while he was a star in the local scene, he was still unproven on the global stage.

Understandably, expectations from global fans were low. Noiri was seen as the underdog, and most didn’t think he’d be the one to hand Tawanchai his first loss in kickboxing. But he didn’t fight like someone playing it safe.

From the start, Noiri pressed forward, kept a tight guard, and went after Tawanchai’s legs with purpose. Thai legend Buakaw Banchamek broke down the fight in ONE 172 on his YouTube channel, and here's what he had to say about that bout.

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"Noiri was just hammering that lead leg repeatedly. You can tell he was moving quicker, closing the distance better. He started cornering Tawanchai really well here in round two. Noiri knows he has nothing to lose. He’s just attacking…tight guard and marching forward."

Check out the fight breakdown below:

Buakaw believes Tawanchai felt Masaaki Noiri’s brutal kicks as early as Round 1

Buakaw saw things turning even before the finish came. Tawanchai landed some clean kicks in the first round, but Masaaki Noiri's low kicks were already chipping away at him. Buakaw said

"End of the first round. I gotta give it to Tawanchai. He caught Noiri with really good kicks. But Noiri's kicks to the lead leg did affect him. I guess it must've hit a nerve. You can see the discomfort [from Tawanchai]."

Masaaki Noiri ultimately pulled off what people thought he couldn't - knock Tawanchai out of the game. He went home with the ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world title, and while there is no confirmation yet, a looming unification bout with reigning champ Superbon.

ONE 172 is available via replay on watch.onefc.com.

About the author

Charlene is a MMA writer with 5 years of experience writing content in various formats. She inadvertently fell into the rabbit hole of MMA after she (begrudgingly) joined her friend for a class and ended up enjoying it far beyond her expectations. She has a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and once dreamed of becoming a sports doctor before she found her true calling in writing.

She has ghostwritten for various health, fitness, and martial arts businesses. Despite the busyness of her day-to-day, she occasionally finds the time to practice Boxing and Muay Thai at home with her coach/husband and their many cats as their rapt audience.

She has organized a few local MMA events and aspires to establish her own little gym someday.

Outside of work, Charlene enjoys books, video games, and anime.

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Edited by Subham