‘I Want Revenge For What He Did To Me’ – Saemapetch Fired Up For Rematch WIth Mohamed Younes Rabah

Saemapetch Fairtex is fueled by redemption ahead of his second meeting with Mohamed Younes Rabah at ONE Fight Night 19: Haggerty vs. Lobo on Prime Video.  

The Thai star didn’t feel that his knockout loss to Rabah at ONE Fight Night 17 in December was completely fair, and he’s gunning for payback when they meet again at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.  

After seeking an immediate rematch with the Algerian phenom, the #4-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender has trained hard to turn the tables in U.S. primetime on Friday, February 16.

Saemapetch told onefc.com: 

“I asked ONE Championship for a rematch with Mohamed. And when they gave me the green light, I started training. I’ve been training for more than two months. 

“I’m really excited because I want revenge for what he did to me in the last fight. That fight ended too soon.” 

There were a couple of crucial points that left a bitter taste in Saemapetch’s mouth following his defeat to Rabah. 

He was initially slated to rematch #3-ranked contender Felipe “Demolition Man” Lobo, but the Brazilian withdrew due to injury, and Rabah stepped in for a catchweight of 150 pounds. However, the promotional newcomer missed weight, so a 151.75-pound catchweight was agreed upon.  

Then in the fight, Rabah hit Saemapetch with an extra knee to the head after knocking him down in the third round. The Thai striker couldn’t continue, and Rabah took the KO victory – although some believed the final blow should have been deemed illegal.

Saemapetch recently reviewed the entire situation:

“I was ready to fight against anyone. Even when they asked me to fight at [150 pounds] while my natural weight is [145 pounds], I was okay with it. But when the fight day came, my opponent couldn’t make weight. So I was at a disadvantage in many aspects. 

“I was disappointed and upset that I was knocked down and got kneed in the face while I was down. And they still declared him the winner of the match. That’s why I want to rematch.  

“At that time, I had to respect the referee’s decision. If he was sure I lost the match, I had to accept my defeat. Now, I want to end the controversy. Win or lose I will clear up this ambiguity for the fans.” 

Saemapetch Hoping To Kick-Start Another Run Toward Gold

Saemapetch Fairtex has been one of the top competitors in ONE’s bantamweights Muay Thai division since its inception in 2018.

He has beaten some elite names over the years, but with up-and-down results after losing his ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title challenge of Nong-O Hama in 2019, the veteran needs a consistent run to earn another shot at the belt.

Saempetch already has plenty of motivation to defeat Mohamed Younes Rabah, and that is compounded by his desire to remain among the division’s upper echelon:

“This rematch is very important to me. I want to prove to the fans that I’m still the same Saemapetch.  

“Because I already know Rabah from the previous fight, I know how I will handle him. I’ve prepared many tricks to surprise him in the ring.  

“I will use a wider variety of weapons. I will be more efficient. I will definitely not be rash or careless this time.” 

Saemapetch has trained hard to get his revenge on Rabah. Now, he needs to put that into practice in the ring.  

Eager to settle the score, the Thai concluded with a message for his rival: 

“Mohamed, I’m gonna pay you back on February 16. I won’t make the same mistake twice.”