“The risk in our profession is high” - Prajanchai making the most out of career while he’s still on top
Prajanchai PK Saenchai believes every fight should have a backup plan—both in and out of the ring.
Today, Prajanchai is one of ONE Championship's most revered athletes, capturing and carrying both the ONE strawweight kickboxing and Muay Thai world titles.
But the two-sport titleholder knows that at any moment, his fight career could come to a crashing halt.
That's why he stressed the importance of having a backup plan during a recent appearance on The ONE Podcast.
"Yes, I have plans," he said. "We never know when we might break a hand or suffer other injuries while fighting. Having alternatives is important. The risk in our profession is high. We use our bodies to take impacts, so having backup plans is crucial."
At just 30 years old, we all hope that Prajanchai has many more years of fighting ahead of him.
Prajanchai's last appearance inside the ring came at ONE Fight Night 28 in February.
On that night, the 344-win veteran delivered a show-stealing performance against Ellis Badr Barboza, netting him a fourth-round finish and an incredible $100,000 performance bonus from ONE COE Chatri Sityodtong.
Prajanchai missed out on meeting up with Jonathan Di Bella in Tokyo
Prajanchai has not yet booked a return to the ring for 2025, but all signs currently point toward a rematch between him and newly minted ONE interim strawweight kickboxing world champion, Jonathan Di Bella.
Prajanchai handed Di Bella his first career loss at ONE Friday Fights 68 last year, establishing himself as the ONE strawweight kickboxing king.
But with the Canadian-Italian now claiming interim gold via a dominant showing against Sam-A Gaiyanghadao at ONE 172 in Japan, it appears the stage is set for the two to run it.
In an interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Prajanchai had hoped to meet up with Di Bella at ONE 172, but their paths never crossed.
"No, I didn't have the chance to talk to him," he said. "I actually didn't get a chance to just meet him face to face, because I was there a little bit later during the fight week. Yeah, I really wanted to see him, though."
Perhaps we won't have to wait long to see them go toe-to-toe on martial arts' biggest stage once again.
If you missed any of the action, you can watch the full ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang replay on demand via watch.onefc.com.