ONE Fight Night 7 couldn’t have gone much better for Tawanchai PK.Saenchai.
The Thai superstar needed just 49 seconds to land the match-ending leg kick on No. 2-ranked contender Jamal Yusupov and retain his ONE featherweight muay Thai world title.
Fighting on home soil for the first time since 2020, Tawanchai sent the adoring fans at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, into raptures and cemented his status as the top featherweight muay Thai fighter on the planet.
The 23-year-old phenom passed the first test of his World Title reign, but now we look ahead to who might be the next challenger to step up to the plate and try their luck.
1. Chingiz Allazov
One particularly mouth-watering prospect would be a world champion vs. world champion showdown with featherweight kickboxing king Chingiz Allazov.
“Chinga” became the ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion in January, when he dramatically stopped longtime divisional king Superbon Singha Mawynn at ONE Fight Night 6.
The victory followed Allazov’s ONE featherweight kickboxing world grand prix triumph, in which he beat Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong, Jo Nattawut and Samy Sana.
Now, Allazov could have another Thai striker in his crosshairs. Should the fight happen, he would have to deliver another incredible performance in order to add Tawanchai to his list of victims.
2. Superbon Singha Mawynn
Superbon may have recently been dethroned, but the Thai superstar remains the No. 1 contender in both kickboxing and muay Thai.
His resume as a ONE athlete contains a who’s who of the striking world, with wins over Giorgio Petrosyan, Marat Grigorian, and the aforementioned Sitthichai.
Superbon is likely the most viable contender to Tawanchai’s throne, and the all-Thai showdown would prove to be a box office smash.
3. Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong
Sitthichai currently sits further back in the training pack at No. 4 in the featherweight muay Thai rankings, but there is an interesting wrinkle – he has a win over Tawanchai.
“Killer Kid” defeated his compatriot via split decision after a back-and-forth contest at “ONE: Battleground III” back in 2021.
As the last man to beat the PK.Saenchai Gym standout before his magical run to the gold, Sitthichai will likely have his sights set on repeating the trick in the near future – and claiming the 26-pounds of gold that currently adorns Tawanchai’s shoulder.
