Tawanchai admits Jo Nattawut compromised his vision in taxing title defense at ONE 167: "He's great"
Tawanchai got his hand raised in the main event of ONE 167 but it wasn't an easy road to victory for him. The ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion headlined the event held at the Impact Arena in a rematch with Jo Nattawut.
Their first meeting at ONE Fight Night 15 in kickboxing was a controversial and extremely closely contested affair and the same can be said for their rematch.
At the end of five rounds, the fight could have gone either way but it was the champion that got the nod on the scorecards.
He started the fight incredibly well but 'Smokin' Jo was able to make the fight competitive following a big third round for the challenger. This round in particular saw the champion struggling with his vision which he elaborated on during his post-fight interview inside the cage:
"When I caught those shots [in the third round] I really couldn't see."
In a confusing end to the fight, the world champion had very little to say in total but did take the opportunity to show respect to his opponent who once again, pushed him to the limit:
"I have nothing to say other than he's great."
Tawanchai battled through adversity at ONE 167
Once again, Jo Nattawut was able to put the heart and toughness of Tawanchai to the test by pushing the champion. Even with compromised eyesight for the final rounds of the main event, the world champion persevered and kept on pushing.
If the first two rounds were all about his technical brilliance, the second half of the fight showed his ability to dig deep after Nattawut wouldn't back down from a fight.
It was a strange scene inside the Impact Arena following the conclusion of the main event as the fans let their feelings on the matter known.
For Tawanchai, he did what he needed to do to come through the fight with his title still wrapped around his waist.
ONE 167 is free to watch back in full via Prime Video for US and Canadian fans with an active subscription.