Knockout Artist Thongpoon Is ‘Certain’ Of Another First-Round Finish Against Zakaria El Jamari

Thai fan favorite Thongpoon PK Saenchai is gunning for his second consecutive first-round knockout in U.S. primetime.

On May 3 at ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Prime Video, the 26-year-old brawler will take on Moroccan standout Zakaria El Jamari in a strawweight Muay Thai clash at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Thongpoon will enter the contest riding high following his ruthless TKO win over Timur Chuikov in February.

This time, he’ll be facing an opponent who presents some interesting stylistic challenges. With his experience in professional boxing, El Jamari possesses some of the division’s best hands – a skill that complements his well-rounded kicking and clinch games.

While Thongpoon concedes that his foe might have lightning in his punches, he maintains the same type of brash confidence that’s turned him into a global superstar.

He told onefc.com:

“Zakaria is indeed a fast fighter. He used to compete in boxing before. But from my point of view, I still think that I can throw weapons faster than him.”

Thongpoon isn’t shy about his game plan: Throw heavy leather from the opening bell in pursuit of a quick knockout and a US$50,000 performance bonus.

Knowing the Moroccan is the bigger athlete, he says there are some additional tricks up his sleeve – but only if El Jamari can make it to the second round:

“His advantage is his larger body, so I will rely on my agility and smarts to fight with him. Like always, I prepared many tools for this fight, but I will focus on my punches in the first round because I hope to win the bonus.

“But if he can survive and the fight goes to the second round, everyone will definitely see other weapons from me.”

The PK Saenchai representative has found plenty of success chasing the early finish. In addition to his highlight-reel stoppage of Chuikov, he boasts a pair of first-round knockouts in the ONE Friday Fights event series.

Those unforgettable performances have earned Thongpoon a reputation as one of Muay Thai’s most feared punchers and made him a beloved favorite of the Bangkok faithful.

There’s no doubt in his mind that he’ll live up to that reputation against El Jamari:

“I’m certain that I can win by first-round KO.”

Thongpoon Reveals His Surprising Mindset

Thongpoon PK Saenchai is certainly brimming with confidence ahead of his showdown with Zakaria El Jamari. However, fans shouldn’t confuse that confidence with arrogance.

Quite the opposite, as Thongpoon possesses an interesting outlook – he assumes every opponent is the better fighter.

As he explains, this new approach will ensure that he puts his best foot forward each and every time he competes:

“For me, I will always see everyone as better than me because it will make me not careless. In the past, I used to think that I was better than others, and it made me arrogant and narcissistic. I became careless and made mistakes.

“Now, I don’t think I’m better than anyone else. So, Zakaria is definitely better than me in this fight, and I must overcome this challenge.”