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Newly crowned ONE featherweight Muay Thai champion Tawanchai was certain that his hand would be raised at ONE 161. In fact, he was confident that he'd won every single round of his electric title fight against veteran Petchmorakot Petchyindee.
Since the scorecards were read, there has been a lot of debate regarding the fight's outcome. Yet, Tawanchai feels as though he dethroned the champ in a decisive manner.
He told ONE:
"Yeah, I don't know but I feel that I won every round. Maybe if I lost, maybe it was maybe in the second round or the third round when I threw Petchmorakot down. Maybe it could be that round if I was going to lose, but I have a feeling that I won."
The judges' scorecards officially read 49-47, 50-45, and 49-46, meaning that all three scorers had Tawanchai winning the fight definitively.
Tawanchai wants to be a Muay Thai legend
After securing featherweight Muay Thai gold at ONE 161, Tawanchai has set high goals for himself. The 23-year-old wants everyone to remember him as one of the greatest Muay Thai practitioners of all time.
Not only that, but the Thai phenom hopes to become a two-belt world champion. After stunning the audience at ONE 161, he wants to continue amazing viewers by testing the kickboxing waters in the future.
The P.K. Saenchai Muay Thai Gym trainee is regarded as one of the brightest young stars in all of mixed martial arts. He has amassed a record of 4-1 since joining the organization in 2021.
Impressively, he has attained three consecutive victories in 2022, including back-to-back finishes en route to his title fight against Petchyindee.
As far as what's next for the featherweight Muay Thai champ, expect many possible opponents to throw their name into the conversation. Also do not rule out an immediate rematch for Petchyindee, who held the belt for quite some time.
Other than that, possibilities include Superbon Singha Mawynn, Jamal Yusupov, Jimmy Vienot, and Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong — all of whom are ranked in the top five.
Regardless, the rising star has proven to be must-watch television when he steps into the cage.
Check out the full highlights from the ONE 161 event below:
