5 Facts About Muay Thai Superstar Tawanchai Before His ONE Debut
Tawanchai PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym is primed and ready for his ONE Super Series Muay Thai debut.
The 21-year-old Thai megastar will face tough-as-nails Sean “Clubber” Clancy in a bantamweight clash at ONE: DANGAL, which airs on Saturday, 15 May, from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Before the striking master steps onto the global stage, we reveal five must-know facts about one of Thailand’s greatest modern fighters.
#1 Won Multiple 2018 Fighter Of The Year Awards
Tawanchai might be new to ONE Super Series, but he’s far from green in Thailand’s Muay Thai circuit.
The Pattaya native elevated his status to one of the country’s greats by defeating #3-ranked ONE bantamweight Muay Thai contender “Left Meteorite” Kulabdam Sor. Jor. Piek Uthai three times in just three months.
That epic trilogy took place at the end of 2018, as the two men met twice at Lumpinee Stadium and once during Thailand’s Muay Thai Expo. Tawanchai won all three battles via decision.
Those monumental victories led him to be named the 2018 Lumpinee Fighter of the Year, the 2018 Sports Authority of Thailand Fighter of the Year, and the 2018 Siam Kela Fighter of the Year.
But his massive success didn’t stop there.
#2 First Athlete To KO Sangmanee
In March 2019, Tawanchai took his ever-improving striking skills into the ring against “The Million Dollar Baby” Sangmanee Klong SuanPluResort, as the two stars competed in their own trilogy series.
In the fourth round of their first fight, Tawanchai planted a left high kick into the head of Sangmanee, sending his compatriot to the canvas for an eight-count.
Sangmanee returned to his feet – albeit on wobbly legs – but Tawanchai attacked with a push kick that sent “The Million Dollar Baby” flying backward. As Sangmanee struggled to find his legs once more, the referee jumped in to wave off the action.
“The Million Dollar Baby” did win their rematch three months later by decision, but Tawanchai took the lead with another victory in September 2020.
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#3 Trains With ONE Super Series Standouts
Tawanchai will have plenty of intel before competing in ONE Super Series for the first time. That’s because he trains alongside three of the promotion’s biggest striking stars.
At PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym, Tawanchai is teammates with #2-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Rodlek PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym, Pongsiri PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym, and “The Elbow Zombie” Muangthai PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym.
What’s more, Pongsiri is very familiar with Clancy, as the two shared the ring in September 2020 and produced a thrilling three-round Muay Thai battle that saw the Thai walk away with a unanimous decision win.
That bout was such a classic that it made our list of top 5 ONE Super Series fights of 2020. There’s no doubt Clancy will be seeking redemption through Tawanchai at ONE: DANGAL.
#4 Dog Lover
Tawanchai might be a fighter, but he’s also a lover – a dog lover, that is.
The PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym representative has a pup named Gucci, whom he adores very much.
This puts the promotional newcomer up there with other dog lovers in ONE, including reigning atomweight queen “Unstoppable” Angela Lee and former ONE Welterweight World Title challenger Agilan “Alligator” Thani.
#5 Strength And Conditioning With Petchtanong
Strength and conditioning training has only recently become a focus of Muay Thai athletes in Thailand. And when one of them does want to improve their speed and power, they usually turn to the help of one man – ONE Super Series athlete Petchtanong Petchfurgus.
Tawanchai is no different. The man from PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym has worked with Petchtanong on numerous occasions to give himself a one-up in the ring.
Now, Tawanchai will look to use that speed and power against Clancy on 15 May.
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