‘Totally Unexpected’ – Joasuayai Recaps Stunning Head Kick Knockout Of Nakrob At ONE Fight Night 32
Jaosuayai Mor Krungthepthonburi couldn’t have asked for a better debut as a member of ONE’s global roster.
On June 6 in U.S. primetime, the 23-year-old Thai delivered a true Knockout of the Year candidate, flatlining #5-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Nakrob Fairtex just 52 seconds into the main event of ONE Fight Night 32 on Prime Video.
After an impressive nine-fight run at ONE Friday Fights that saw Joasuayai emerge as one of the division’s dark-horse contenders and earn his six-figure contract, expectations were high for his first U.S. primetime appearance.
Still, few could have predicted how quickly – and spectacularly – he ran through the Fairtex star at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Jaosuayai even surprised himself, telling onefc.com after the fight:
“It was totally unexpected, and I’m very happy about it. I didn’t think that I would get the knockout that quick.”
Jaosuayai scored the first knockdown of the contest in less than 30 seconds, only to find the fight-finishing left head kick moments later.
Despite the shocking outcome, he said the KO was a result of careful study and meticulous preparation in which he and his team identified a critical weakness in Nakrob’s defense:
“I’ve studied him from his previous fights, and normally when he walks in, his right guard falls, so it’s a bit low.
“I thought that would be an opening that I could use. So, when he came in like that, and I saw the opening, I led with my punches, and then I connected with a high kick onto his neck.”
The young Thai now boasts an 8-2 record in ONE, is riding an incredible five-fight winning streak, and owns an epic highlight that will live on for years to come.
He’s also likely to find himself in the flyweight Muay Thai division’s top-five rankings and closer to a shot at the vacant World Title.
Beyond his climb toward 26 pounds of gold, Jaosuayai is immensely gratified to have put on such a jaw-dropping performance in the biggest opportunity of his career thus far:
“For 16 years, I’ve been on this journey, and I’ve been fighting, and I’ve been training really hard. I am proud of myself. I’m so thankful that I did not give up.
“Yeah, I feel like this is such a great [U.S. primetime] debut at ONE Fight Night. So I’m very proud to be where I am right now.”
Elevating Muay Thai And Considering Rodtang
Jaosuayai’s unforgettable introduction to ONE’s U.S. primetime audience looks to be just the first step in a long stay among the flyweight Muay Thai division’s upper echelon.
Obviously, he’s excited for even bigger and better fights in the future. And as his viral knockout of Nakrob continues to garner more attention around the globe, he’s happy to be elevating the sport he loves:
“ONE Championship is such a great organization. I just want to be a force behind it, to push Muay Thai for the world to see. So I’m really grateful to be a part of that, and I really want to show Muay Thai to all the fans around the world.”
There’s no doubt that Jaosuayai’s star power jumped up several notches at ONE Fight Night 32. With that in mind, fans are wondering who’s next for the hard-hitting Sor Dechapan product.
One potential opponent is former long-reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion and current #1-ranked contender Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon.
While Jaosuayai didn’t call out any name in particular, he was glad to entertain a clash with the Thai megastar:
“I never turn down my opponents. So if the chance comes, I will definitely catch it. So if ONE Championship sees that I am fit to fight with Rodtang, I will take that.”
