WATCH: Relive Thai megastar Tawanchai PK Saenchai's iconic and brutal leg kick knockout of Jamal Yusupov in Bangkok
ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai proudly exhibited the power that Muay Thai fighters can unleash at a moment's notice when he defended the crown against Jamal Yusupov at ONE Fight Night 7 in February 2023.
Tawanchai ended the three-time Russian national kickboxing champion's hopes of becoming a ONE world champion with a well-placed kick behind his right knee, leaving him limping and unable to continue.
The world's largest martial arts promotion shared the moment on Instagram with the accompanying caption:
"A kick to remember 🔥🦵 Can Tawanchai score another knockout win against Superbon at ONE 170? @tawanchay_pk"
In a subsequent interview with ONE, the Hyperion Fighters product confirmed that he did not suffer an injury from the kick. However, it did land squarely on an old injury.
Defeating the formidable Yusupov marked Tawanchai's first successful defense of the 155-pound Muay Thai crown.
He has defended the ONE featherweight Muay Thai world championship two more times, with hard-fought wins over ONE interim featherweight kickboxing world champion Superbon and 'Smokin' Jo Nattawut in December 2023 and June 2024, respectively.
Tawanchai's defense of featherweight Muay Thai crown set for ONE 170
Tawanchai will have his fourth defense of the ONE featherweight Muay Thai world championship when he rematches Superbon at ONE 170 on Jan. 24, 2025, inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
Superbon, the top-ranked ONE featherweight Muay Thai competitor, secured his second opportunity to dethrone the 25-year-old by knocking out 'Smokin' Jo Nattawut in just one round at ONE Friday Fights 81 this past September.
Tawanchai will need to be on his A-game to ensure he remains the king of the ONE featherweight Muay Thai division, as Superbon takes his losses to heart and studies his mistakes intensely.