ONE Championship: Superbon gears up for kickboxing Grand Prix after Muay Thai masterclass – and trip to see FC Barcelona

ONE Championship interim featherweight kickboxing champ Superbon Singha Mawynn is back refreshed and ready to go after a couple of weeks of traveling the world, and just in time, it seems.

The Asia-based martial arts promotion on Tuesday confirmed Sportskeeda's exclusive last month that a featherweight kickboxing World Grand Prix will be held later in 2024 to determine the division's champion.

It could not have come at a better moment for Superbon, with the 33-year-old getting some much-needed R&R in Europe.

His tour first took him to the UK for this month's Amazing Muay Thai Masterclass in Reading, an hour outside of London, England, with legendary training partner Nong-O Hama and ONE's atomweight kickboxing champion Phetjeeja Ormeekhun.

After teaching more than 300 fans from 16 countries, many of them young children, his patented finishing move, Superbon told Sportskeeda:

"It was good. There were a lot of people enjoying it, looking for good training. A lot of people came to learn. I’m good at it so I taught my head kicks. People are always looking for good technique. I teach what I’m good at."

Matt Lucas, director of PR at Pattaya's famed Fairtex gym, was also on hand to help the Thai superstars with whatever they needed in the UK.

The event at the Hilton Hotel – organized by the Muay Thai arm of the governing body, the World Boxing Council – was the first of its kind, and plans are already afoot to go back next year in a bigger capacity. Lucas said:

"It was pretty tight, I think in the future they will expand the room size but this was the first go so they were trying a few things out. There were some hiccups but overall I would say it was pretty smooth. The WBC have plans to do a few more, Berlin was being tossed around, Paris, Sydney and America at some point. They will probably have another one or two later this year and next year I bet it will be much more regular."

He added:

"It was very much so a feeling out process for the WBC. Kevin Noone, the secretary general, and Colonel Thanapol Bhakdibhumi, the president, were very, very happy. They were both in attendance helping to organize the event."

However, Superbon was undoubtedly the star of the show, even though he barely had time to recuperate from the long flight over. Lucas concluded:

“Superbon liked it. The flight is 12 hours non-stop from Thailand and then you wake up the next day and start working. That can be a bit hard but it’s the price of fame."

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Superbon's European tour

While American former fighter Lucas returned to Thailand not long after, Superbon stuck around and went on to teach seminars in Leeds before heading to Scotland – then Germany, Switzerland, and Spain, even taking in a Barcelona game at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium. He said:

"It’s good to travel. The weather is good, it’s summer. I’ve been to Cologne. I went to Edinburgh – it's nice, it looked like an old town. My friend brought me good food in Scotland. I really enjoyed Spain. It’s not so hot weather like Thailand. The people are nice. I have good friends."

He added:

"I got back to Thailand on May 19. I’ll manage the gym, come back and start training."

A return to action in the featherweight kickboxing grand prix looks likely, with Superbon aiming to reclaim the divisional title he lost to Chingiz Allazov on home soil last year.

The tournament could also throw up a rematch with fellow Thai superstar Tawanchai, from whom Superbon failed to swipe the ONE featherweight Muay Thai title in a five-round classic last December. Lucas concluded:

"That grand prix would be amazing for Superbon. He could rematch Tawanchai and I think if he could switch the plan a little bit he could potentially win. He looked pretty good in the fight. The last two rounds I would say he was starting to come into it a bit more, but Tawanchai came out too fast and hard and controlled it."