"I was much slower than him" - Seksan apologizes to fans for lackluster performance against Yutaro Asahi
Fan-favorite Seksan Or Kwanmuang feels like he let his loyal followers down after a rather uninspired performance in his last outing against Yutaro Asahi. The Thai veteran, though, admitted that the young Japanese star was simply the better fighter on that fateful evening.
Seksan entered his ONE Friday Fights 58 clash with Asahi last April, riding the high of a blistering 8-0 start in the world's largest martial arts organization.
However, the 35-year-old brawler never got his rhythm going due to the Phoenix Gym standout's in-and-out karate style. He was also outsped by his light-footed foe, who peppered him with rapid-fire punches for three full rounds.
Speaking in an interview with the South China Morning Post, Seksan denied that his preparations for Ramadan factored in his disappointing loss:
"I want to explain about the fasting. Everything was the same, the routine was the same. The training, the food, and the diet were the same. But Yutaro Asahi was very fast. Respect to him. I was much slower than him."
Despite Asahi's brutal assault, 'The Man Who Yields To No One' lived up to his moniker and refused to go down without a fight. He added:
"However, I know I might have disappointed the fans because it wasn't the same performance because of the injuries. But I still tried to stand for three rounds."
Rewatch Seksan vs Yutaro Asahi here:
Seksan seeking a bounce-back performance against Liam Harrison
Seksan has already moved on from his recent setback and is looking forward to his next challenge. On September 6, 'The Man Who Yields To No One' will share the Circle with fellow striking legend Liam Harrison in a three-round slugfest at ONE 168: Denver.
In the same SCMP MMA interview, Seksan admitted he's been looking forward to this match-up for a long time:
"I'm super excited to face a legend like Liam Harrison because he's been in this for a long time, he's been fighting for a long time, and I've been following him for a long time."
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver at Ball Arena are available via Ticketmaster
Watch the full interview: