ONE Championship: Tawanchai ‘feels bad’ after 49-second TKO – ‘I was hoping to fight him a bit longer’
- ONE Fight Night 7 a ‘special’ homecoming for Tawanchai PK. Saenchai, who retains featherweight Muay Thai title on home soil
- Thai crumples Russian challenger with one leg kick, bringing premature but dramatic end to Bangkok co-main event, and earning US$50,000 bonus
Saturday morning was a memorable homecoming for Tawanchai PK. Saenchai, who retained his ONE Championship featherweight Muay Thai title on home soil with a first round TKO.
But the 23-year-old was hoping his co-main event title fight against Jamal Yusupov at Bangkok’s famed Lumpinee Stadium had lasted more than just 49 seconds.
The Thai crumpled his Russian challenger with just one leg kick, bringing a premature – but still dramatic – end to what had been touted as the toughest test yet for this young phenom.
“I’m very happy for the result,” Tawanchai told the Post. “But I had prepared a lot of game plans, and I didn’t expect it to end this fast.
“I respect Jamal, so I feel a little bit bad that he was hurt. I was hoping to fight him a little bit longer, because I have prepared for this fight for a long time.”
The 39-year-old Yusupov was in a wheelchair later on Saturday afternoon at the Rama Gardens Hotel Bangkok, while Tawanchai soaked up the atmosphere at Lumpinee.
Having won the belt from Petchmorrakot Petchyindee in a five-round battle in late September at a closed-door Singapore Indoor Stadium, this was a special occasion for the young prodigy.
