Watch: ONE Championship previews Tawanchai vs. Saemapetch for ONE: Heavy Hitters

If you haven't paid attention to ONE Championship's year-opening event Heavy Hitters yet, this fight should pique your interest.

The Muay Thai battle between Tawanchai P.K. Saenchaimuaythaigym and Saemapetch Fairtex is a collision between knockout artists. It's not, however, just a clash between two brutish powerhouses.

Though both are known for ending fights in the blink of an eye, the two Muay Thai masters have different approaches to getting there. Saemapetch uses raw power, while Tawanchai uses technical precision.

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

It's a tale of a savage striker versus a master tactician. In his fight against Kulabdam and ONE Championship bantamweight champ Nong-O, Saemapetch exemplified intense combinations backed by his concussive power.

Saemapetch's raw power put Kulabdam down with a debilitating right cross to the body.

As for Tawanchai, his fight against Sean Clancy was a clinic in technical striking. Tawanchai made Clancy look like he didn't know what he was doing. He never telegraphs his punches and kicks and his strikes connect at an almost 100% rate. It's a delight to watch.

Check out ONE Championship's preview of the fight in this YouTube video:

Tawanchai and Saemapetch clash on the main card of ONE Championship: Heavy Hitters

On January 14, ONE Championship opens the year with a bang. The stacked card, aptly called Heavy Hitters, is filled with bouts that might not see the final bell.

The 12-fight card is comprised of bouts contested in Muay Thai, kickboxing and MMA.

One of the Muay Thai clashes on the card is the explosive bout between Saemapetch and Tawanchai. This "brute force versus surgical technique" fight is a Muay Thai lover's dream.

It would be interesting to see who comes out on top of this fight, as the winner can get back to making a case for facing champion Nong-O next. Both are coming out of a loss but there are caveats to these L's.

A few months ago, Saemapetch lost to Rittewada due to a cut over his eye in a fight that he was arguably winning. As for Tawanchai, he lost a razor-close contest against Sittichai last year. Both fighters' stocks aren't on a decline and this bout can determine who gets a crack at gold in the near future.

About the author

Duane is an expert MMA writer at Sportskeeda with 15 years of experience working for the likes of Philippine Star, Esquire Philippines, Playboy Philippines, etc. A major in English, he has written over 2000 articles for Sportskeeda section, extensively covering UFC and boxing fights.

Duane is a practicing MMA fighter with a 11-7 record. He is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt and trains Muay Thai. His connection with MMA dates back to 2005, when he turned into a fan after watching Fedor Emelianenko defeat Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic at Pride FC - Final Conflict 2005.

Emelianenko finds himself right at the top of Duane’s Mt. Rushmore of MMA fighters, alongside other big names like Demetrious Johnson, Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, and Anderson Silva.

Duane’s love for the sport is reflected in his writings, where he believes in speculating but not insinuating. He uses his intensive knowledge and skills in MMA to provide unique insights to the readers, along with sourcing information only from reliable sources.

Outside of work, Duane enjoys martial arts training, visual arts, film criticism, video games, and creative writing.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Harvey Leonard