“I thought he won the fight pretty easily” - Chatri Sityodtong comments on Sitthichai’s performance against Masaaki Noiri
ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong is convinced that Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong won his kickboxing clash against Masaaki Noiri last week but felt the Thai star lost steam in the end.
'Killer Kid' defeated Japanese kickboxing star and ONE-debuting Noiri by unanimous decision at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs Nattawut on June 7 in Bangkok, Thailand. Sitthichai took control for much of the contest with his solid striking, including uppercuts, knees, and body kicks that left Noiri scrambling. The former K-1 champion had his moments, especially late in the match, but it was not enough to swing the tide in his favor.
At the post-event press conference, Sityodtong shared his thoughts on the performance of Sitthichai, highlighting how he had a strong start but was not able to put the ideal finishing touches. The ONE executive said:
"I thought Sitthichai did well and I did think he won the fight. I thought he won the fight pretty easily. I think the last round was maybe a little bit closer, but he dominated the first two rounds. But I was surprised that he was gassing. So, that told me a lot, like how is it possible you're gassing? You haven't been hurt, you haven't been tagged and so that was very surprising."
"The third round looked like as if he was in a five-round war, you know? It wasn't that kind of fight. So I don't know if his body can handle it . His technique is still there, his mind is still sharp. But maybe there's something else. Maybe he had food poisoning, I have no idea. Maybe, right? But I was shocked that his gas, by the third round, it was gone. You could see it."
With the win at ONE 167, the Sitsongpeenong Muay Thai Camp athlete got back on the winning track after back-to-back losses previously.
Sitthichai delivers on promise to beat Masaaki Noiri at ONE 167
Thai veteran Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong was confident of defeating Japanese Masaaki Noiri in their kickboxing showdown at ONE 167 on June 7, delivering on his push to come up with a win.
He did it the way he envisioned it, by using the myriad of tools at his disposal, something he shared in an interview with ONE Championship in the lead-up to their match.
'Killer Kid' said:
"So he [Noiri] doesn't like to defend himself much. I will bring some of my heavy weapons to use with him in the ring."
At ONE 167, Sitthichai made it tough for Noiri in his promotional debut, not allowing the latter to have his game fully soar with powerful strikes and combinations on his way to a unanimous decision victory.