"I did not lose that first fight" - Tawanchai believes he did enough to beat Jo Nattawut in first encounter
ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai comes into his next fight with a real point to prove to some doubters.
He and his next title challenger have history with one another that some would say is still unfinished business.
The champ first faced Jo Nattawut back at ONE Fight Night 15 in a featherweight kickboxing bout as he looked to continue climbing the ranks in this division.
He came away with the win that night but the verdict was heavily contested after the fight was incredibly close between them.
The defending champion is now looking to use this as motivation with the pairing set to run it back, this time in Muay Thai with his belt on the line at ONE 167.
Tawanchai told Sportskeeda MMA in a recent interview that he is fueled by wanting to make a statement with his performance after feeling like he clearly deserved the win last time out:
"Of course, this situation motivates me to prove that I can beat him in this fight. I don't care what people think but I believe that I did not lose that first fight."
Both Tawanchai and Nattawut have statements to make at ONE 167
Though Tawanchai spoke about using their last fight as motivation this time around, the same can certainly be said for Jo Nattawut.
'Smokin' Jo came very close to beating him in their last encounter with many feeling like he should have got the nod from the judges.
He will now look to improve upon that performance with the knowledge that he can take his opponent to the limit.
The big hurdle for Nattawut in this fight is that it will be contested under Muay Thai rules which the champion is far more confident and effective.
Nattawut certainly has the odds stacked against him this time around but you never know what is going to happen when two elite strikers go head-to-head.
ONE 167 will air live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7. North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire card for free.