Tawanchai Muay Thai: Tawanchai says his preparation for Jamal Yusupov was biggest factor in win, not age gap

Muay Thai phenom Tawanchai PK.Saenchai was able to stop Jamal Yusupov just 49 seconds into their world title bout. The Thai superstar defended his ONE featherweight Muay Thai world title by way of knockout via leg kick.

Training at the PK. Saenchai Muay Thai Gym has been priceless in terms of how Tawanchai's career has developed. At the young age of 23, he is already one of the most respected and feared Muay Thai strikers on the planet.

According to the Thai fighter, the difference between him and other fighters is in how they train. Yusupov's years of experience over him did not matter, according to the Muay Thai world champion. In his post-fight interview, he explained:

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

"For me, age is just a number. Training is the most important thing."

Heading into the match, the 23-year-old fighter knew the threat Russia's Yusupov posed with his heavy hands. The featherweight Muay Thai king was able to neutralize the threat and make it look easy. He added:

"I needed to be careful about his punches because he's a heavy hitter, but I also had prepared myself well, so I wasn't worried."

Muay Thai star Tawanchai may be interested in kickboxing

The ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion is showing massive ambition as he recently stated that seeking kickboxing gold may be on the table. He may soon be aiming to make history as a two-sport world champion.

While he’s looking at a potential challenge in the kickboxing ranks, Tawanchai admitted that he’s still unsure if he’ll join the ONE Openweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix.

In an interview with SCMP MMA, he said:

“I’m focusing on Muay Thai and kickboxing right now, the Grand Prix is still 50/50 so we will see what’s happening.”

Chingiz Allazov recently knocked out Superbon Singha Mawynn to capture the ONE featherweight kickboxing world title. Tawanchai may be looking to avenge his countryman and pick up a kickboxing world title along the way.

ONE Championship recently announced an openweight Muay Thai Grand Prix. It will feature 16 fighters across multiple weight classes. The grand prize will be a whopping $1,000,000.

Watch the full interview below:

About the author

Timothy Wheaton is a combat sports writer who covers MMA, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. He has been an avid follower of these sports since 2005. Tim Wheaton has been working alongside Sportskeeda MMA proudly with the ONE Championship and UFC teams.

With Sportskeeda MMA, Tim has contributed interviews, thousands of articles, plus videos on YouTube, Snapchat, and Instagram. He has also represented Sportskeeda MMA in person at live UFC events.

Tim also works with a host of other media sites such as Calf Kick Sports, MMA Sucka, Low Kick MMA, Vecht Sport Info, Fighters First, and Beyond Kickboxing. Tim is is the authority on kickboxing and MMA journalist who has covered K-1, PRIDE FC, UFC, GLORY Kickboxing, Bellator, ONE Championship, and plenty more.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Aziel Karthak