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Before ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai returns to the ring for his next world title defense at ONE 167, re-watch the clinical debut performance that made his presence known in ONE Championship.
At the time, much wasn't known about the former Thai newcomer when he debuted under the bright lights of ONE: Dangal. His opposition, Sean 'Clubber' Clancy, on the other hand, had championship experience.
The Irish slugger had more than 60 bouts to his name as well as a WBC Muay Thai world championship under his belt when he met Tawanchai in 2021.
That said, no one could've expected Clancy to go down the way he did. Tawanchai showed zero emotion when he slowly picked the Irishman apart with a combination of vicious head kicks, slicing elbows, and accurate punches.
Clancy, bloodied and wearied since the first round, tried to close the distance with some offense but Tawanchai stayed sharp, punishing his opposition with an array of strikes from every corner.
Inevitably, Tawanchai's defining moment arrived in the third round. As Clancy moved to strike, the Thai superstar met him with a high left kick to drop the Irishman backward unconscious onto the mat.
The referee quickly jumped to stop the fight as Tawanchai coldly walked away from his rival.
Rewatch Tawanchai's iconic debut below:
The Thai superstar is set to return once more to defend his Muay Thai throne on June 7, to face former rival 'Smokin' Jo Nattawut in another riveting rematch at ONE 167 at the Impact Arena in Thailand.
Tawanchai looking dangerous as he prepares for intense rematch with Jo Nattawut
There's not one day that goes by when Tawanchai isn't training.
The 25-year-old phenom is undergoing an intensive training camp to prepare for a five-round world title defense against countryman Jo Nattawut at ONE 167 on June 7 at Impact Arena.
Their first match was purely action-packed from beginning to end. Nattawut did shockingly well in matching Tawanchai's pace, responding to the world champion with some great offense throughout, as he desperately tried to find the finish.
Although Tawanchai got the nod by decision in the non-title kickboxing bout, it felt too close of a match in his mind.
In preparation for Nattawut, the divisional king hopes for a more convincing finish by hitting the gym early. His gym, aptly quoted his recent warm-up on Instagram with the words, "First priority," as Tawanchai initiates his full training camp.
Check out the reel below:
