https://www.scmp.com/rss/523125/feed The latest news and top stories on Tawanchai PK Saenchai, a professional Muay Thai fighter. He is the current ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion, a title he has successfully defended multiple times since September 2022. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Liu Mengyang recently shared a photo of his trainer standing alongside legendary Muay Thai star Tawanchai PK Saenchai. The image carried deep personal meaning. As a 16-year-old prospect, Liu had messaged the coach asking for the chance to train under him. Eight years later, the Chinese stand-out found himself standing over Tawanchai after stopping the Thai icon in just 52 seconds at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on December 19. Competing in the main event of ONE Friday Fights 137 in a featherweight... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3337866/one-championship-liu-mengyang-believes-win-over-tawanchai-turning-point-my-career?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3337866/one-championship-liu-mengyang-believes-win-over-tawanchai-turning-point-my-career?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 06:48:21 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Aliff Rakib will challenge long-reigning strawweight Muay Thai champion Prajanchai PK Saenchai for the ONE Championship world title in February 2026, promotion chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong has announced during a Facebook Live broadcast. The confirmation comes less than two weeks after Rakib produced a composed and tactically disciplined performance to defeat Ramadan Ondash by unanimous decision at ONE Fight Night 38, extending his winning streak in the organisation to five fights and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3337014/one-championship-aliff-rakib-take-prajanchai-strawweight-muay-thai-world-title?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3337014/one-championship-aliff-rakib-take-prajanchai-strawweight-muay-thai-world-title?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 05:27:48 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai has said his pursuit of featherweight kickboxing gold was back on track as he prepared to headline ONE Friday Fights 137 against Chinese stand-out fighter Liu Mengyang on December 19. Already regarded as one of the finest Muay Thai fighters of his generation, Tawanchai’s ambitions stretch further. The Thai star has made no secret of his desire to add a kickboxing title to his collection, a goal that has proved more demanding than... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3336610/one-championship-tawanchai-aims-revive-title-bid-against-chinas-liu-mengyang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3336610/one-championship-tawanchai-aims-revive-title-bid-against-chinas-liu-mengyang?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 07:50:47 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Tokyo’s Ariake Arena will host a striking masterclass on Sunday when Thailand’s Superbon Singha Mawynn defends his ONE featherweight kickboxing world title against Japan’s Masaaki Noiri, the interim champion who stunned Tawanchai PK Saenchai earlier this year. The bout, which puts national pride on the line for both fighters, headlines ONE 173, a card stacked with elite strikers. Both men understand what is at stake: Superbon wants to cement his legacy as an all-time great, while Noiri aims to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3332765/one-championship-superbon-vows-defend-his-crown-masaaki-noiri-eyes-another-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3332765/one-championship-superbon-vows-defend-his-crown-masaaki-noiri-eyes-another-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 05:35:35 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Nico Carrillo showed exactly why he was considered one of the most dangerous finishers in Muay Thai after dispatching Luke “The Chef” Lessei in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 37 in Bangkok last Saturday. The Scottish contender survived early adversity, switched stances and tore through Lessei with a ruthless second-round barrage to maintain his 100 per cent finishing rate inside ONE Championship. Carrillo weathered a difficult opening round, absorbing a steady diet of low kicks and teeps,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3332227/one-championship-nico-carrillo-doubles-down-title-push-after-dismantling-luke-lessei?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3332227/one-championship-nico-carrillo-doubles-down-title-push-after-dismantling-luke-lessei?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 11:17:17 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Kickboxer Nico Carrillo got married in June and is done waiting: after a career-defining move to featherweight and a knockout win over one of the sport’s icons, the Scot is desperate to stay active and keep stopping opponents as he pushes towards a ONE Championship title shot. Carrillo faces American Luke Lessei at ONE Fight Night 37 in Bangkok next month, and while he expects an entertaining contest, he is more focused on momentum and making a statement. “I’m just buzzing to be fighting again,”... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3328685/one-championship-wedding-done-next-list-kickboxer-nico-carrillo-title-shot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3328685/one-championship-wedding-done-next-list-kickboxer-nico-carrillo-title-shot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 06:50:05 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Jonathan Di Bella said his win over Prajanchai PK Saenchai has cemented his place at the top of the strawweight striking hierarchy after retaining his ONE strawweight kickboxing world title at ONE Fight Night 36. The rematch had been billed as a clash of styles – Prajanchai’s counter-heavy Muay Thai against Di Bella’s rangy kickboxing – and for the first two rounds it was the Italian-Canadian’s movement and volume that dictated the pace. Prajanchai, who is known for starting slowly and building... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3327900/di-bello-says-he-one-championship-no-1-after-second-win-over-prajanchai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3327900/di-bello-says-he-one-championship-no-1-after-second-win-over-prajanchai?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 03:25:16 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Prajanchai PK Saenchai will step into Lumpinee Stadium on Saturday for a rematch with Jonathan Di Bella, and the Thai double champion is confident he has made the right changes to get the job done against the Canadian-Italian. “Of course, my plan has changed – it will be very difficult for him to beat me,” he told the Post ahead of the strawweight kickboxing world title bout at ONE Fight Night 36 in Bangkok. The pair went five close rounds in their first meeting, with some fans believing Di... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3327656/one-championship-prajanchai-ready-rematch-biggest-test-jonathan-di-bella?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3327656/one-championship-prajanchai-ready-rematch-biggest-test-jonathan-di-bella?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 10:21:34 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Jonathan Di Bella is heading back to Thailand for the biggest fight of his career, with the 29-year-old challenging Prajanchai PK Saenchai for the ONE strawweight kickboxing world title at ONE Fight Night 36. The Italian-Canadian star returns to Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium to face the Thai in a high-stakes title unification bout on October 3, and an opportunity to avenge the lone blemish on his record. “When I saw it was finally me fighting Prajanchai again, I was so happy. It’s about time we run... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3326645/one-championship-jonathan-di-bella-gets-chance-avenge-only-loss-his-career?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3326645/one-championship-jonathan-di-bella-gets-chance-avenge-only-loss-his-career?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 05:57:53 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Rukiya Anpo has made his intentions crystal clear ahead of his ONE Championship debut: the Japanese kickboxing ace said Marat Grigorian was only the first obstacle in his path to compatriot Masaaki Noiri. “Marat is my stepping stone to the belt,” Anpo told the Post after the ONE 173 press conference in Tokyo. “When I met him backstage, I told him exactly why I came to ONE: to get revenge against Noiri. That’s my mission here.” Noiri, the interim featherweight kickboxing world champion, beat Anpo... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3326109/one-championship-rukiya-anpo-says-marat-grigorian-just-stepping-stone-old-foe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3326109/one-championship-rukiya-anpo-says-marat-grigorian-just-stepping-stone-old-foe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 06:20:42 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw Tawanchai PK Saenchai has admitted that defeat to Masaaki Noiri at ONE 172 has changed his outlook, and he is now a man on a mission. Tawanchai suffered a knockout loss to Noiri in Tokyo and was determined to use his next bout, against China’s Liu Mengyang at ONE Friday Fights 126 on September 26, as a springboard to redemption in kickboxing. The reigning ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion is widely regarded as one of the finest technicians of his generation in the art of eight limbs,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3323524/one-championship-tawanchai-pk-saenchai-use-liu-mengyang-bout-kickboxing-redemption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3323524/one-championship-tawanchai-pk-saenchai-use-liu-mengyang-bout-kickboxing-redemption?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 11:06:59 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw ONE Friday Fights 126 is one of the promotion’s tentpole events, stacked with elite talent and championship implications across multiple divisions. Featherweight Muay Thai king Tawanchai PK Saenchai steps into kickboxing against China’s Liu Mengyang as he looks to rebound from a loss to interim champion Masaaki Noiri. That result set up a unification bout with Superbon Singha Mawynn at ONE 173, adding extra intrigue to Friday’s clash. Bantamweight Muay Thai champion Nabil Anane is also on the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3323067/titles-not-significant-one-championship-cult-hero-seskan-wants-wow-fans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3323067/titles-not-significant-one-championship-cult-hero-seskan-wants-wow-fans?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:20:46 +0000 Andrew Whitelaw Andrew Whitelaw There are some athletes who appear to have been blessed with a deep cache of natural gifts – and Bampara Kouyate is one of them. The 30-year-old Frenchman is not only a professional runway model and thoughtful communicator, but also one of the most technically gifted Nak Muays on the planet. Known as “Bambi,” Kouyate trains out of BMTC Gym in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France, and spends long stretches at Thailand’s Venum Training Camp in Pattaya. The blend of cultures and gyms has helped him refine a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3322483/one-championship-meet-fighter-who-alternates-between-cat-walking-and-ring-walking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/article/3322483/one-championship-meet-fighter-who-alternates-between-cat-walking-and-ring-walking?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 06:57:45 +0000