Tawanchai Vs. Noiri, Di Bella Vs. Sam-A Interim Kickboxing World Title Bouts Added To ONE 172
ONE Championship’s monumental return to Japan keeps getting better and better, as the promotion has now added a plethora of World Title bouts to the blockbuster fight card for ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, which goes down live at Saitama Super Arena on Sunday, March 23.
In addition to the two previously announced World Championship tilts, ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced at a press conference in Japan on Friday that featherweight Muay Thai king Tawanchai PK Saenchai will face Japanese superstar Masaaki Noiri for the ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Title.
The card will also feature a ONE Interim Strawweight Kickboxing World Title clash between former champions Jonathan Di Bella and Sam-A Gaiyanghadao. Plus, Sityodtong confirmed that if Japanese striking ace Kana Morimoto emerges victorious at ONE Friday Fights 95, then she will challenge reigning divisional queen Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom for the ONE Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing World Championship.
As the reigning ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion who hasn’t tasted defeat in nearly four years, Tawanchai is making his case as the planet’s top pound-for-pound striker.
Becoming a two-sport ONE World Champion would do wonders toward that goal.
The 25-year-old kicked off the year in style, as he finished current featherweight kickboxing king Superbon via second-round TKO at ONE 170 last weekend to retain his gold.
While Tawanchai is best known for his exploits in Muay Thai, he’s no stranger to the bigger gloves of kickboxing.
In 2023, he scored back-to-back kickboxing wins over former Glory Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion Davit Kiria and Thai knockout artist “Smokin” Jo Nattawut to announce himself as a legitimate contender in the featherweight division.
But standing across from him on March 23 will be one of Japan’s finest strikers, who is hungry to defend his home turf and capture the richest prize in the sport.
A former two-division K-1 Champion, Noiri arrived at ONE with loads of hype behind him, but he struggled to find his footing through his first two appearances in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
However, in his most recent outing at ONE 170, the 31-year-old reminded fans what all the excitement was about when he finished Iraqi scrapper Shakir Al-Tekreeti with a flurry of devastating leg kicks.
The Japanese superstar will now have his shot at 26 pounds of interim gold, and he’ll get to do it in front of a hometown crowd.
The other Interim World Championship battle at ONE 172 will see a pair of former titleholders throw down in the ring.
Di Bella might just have the cleanest technique in all of kickboxing – a skill set he used to capture the ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title in his promotional debut back in October 2022.
The Italian-Canadian phenom would successfully defend that belt once before suffering his first defeat – a closely contested decision loss to legendary Thai striker Prajanchai PK Saenchai.
Di Bella has since returned to the win column and now, he is ready to employ his venomous boxing and explosive kicking game against another one of Thailand’s best stand-up practitioners.
Sam-A is a veteran of more than 400 professional bouts and has spent the past seven years cementing himself as one of the greatest strikers to ever compete under ONE’s bright lights.
The beloved hero, who was the inaugural ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion, ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion, and ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion, possesses shocking punching power and sharp finishing instincts, and he’ll come into this matchup on an impressive two-fight winning streak.
At 41 years old, Sam-A knows that his clash with Di Bella at ONE 172 might be his last chance to wear gold and end his incredible career as a ONE World Champion.
Check onefc.com for more news and announcements about ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on March 23.
