It’s been nearly 5 months since Smokin’ Jo Nattawut stepped into the ring to compete in a Muay Thai bout with his opponent Luke Lessei. It was a fight packed with intensity which he won by unanimous decision.
Since that bout, he has been busy with an intense training camp to fight his opponent Tawanchai in an upcoming Muay Thai title fight at ONE 167 on June 8. In the middle of training camp, Jo Nattawut in an Interview with Sportsmanor mentioned that immediately after his last fight he had given himself a break of 5-6 months to recover.
Speaking about the benefit of resting, Nattawut says, “Resting is the best form of training”.
During this recovery period, he does no intense working out or training except “riding a bike for fun.”
Resting and recovering after a fight is something that Jo Nattawut admits has become more acceptable in the world of combat sports. Nattawut says, “Back in the day, fighters got only a week’s rest after any fight no matter what the result of the fight was. I am 100% happier to compete in a time where resting after a fight is more acceptable.”
Jo Nattawut reflects on his last bout against Tawanchai
Jo Nattawaut’s upcoming fight with Tawanchai is not the first time that two have met to compete. The two met at One Fight Night 15 in July 2023 – a fight that was played by kickboxing rules and given that both Nattawut and Tawanchai have a strong base in Muay Thai, Nattawut considers this upcoming fight as an exciting one.
Speaking about the upcoming fight he says, ”The last time I took this fight on short notice so I didn’t have much time to work on a complete game plan. But this time with a full training camp it would be exciting to see how things go.”
Working out a game plan and studying an opponent is something that Nattawut places on high importance along with his general work ethic. His self-assuredness is rather evident when he talks about his training, “I know myself. I don’t have my coach or friends with me all the time to tell me what time to wake up or what to eat. I know that I am not lazy. I know what to do and I do it. I’ve always been this way for as long as I can remember.
Consistency and work ethic are the driving force behind Jo Nattawut’s career
This work ethic in training carries forward even after the fight camps and has aided his longevity in his career. Even though he is a decade older than his opponent Tawancha, he attributes this consistency in his lifestyle to his longevity.
While talking about his lifestyle he says, “Consistency is important. I stay healthy. I am always at the gym. I don’t eat bad and instead eat healthy. I don’t eat burgers and food like that but I like Asian food with Meat and Vegetables. Eating right, staying healthy and getting enough rest makes me a better fighter.”
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Constantly paying attention to his lifestyle and holding himself accountable is a factor that stems from Nattawut’s self-assuredness as he has trained around the world. Though he trains in the US, he claims that he would be exactly who he is, no matter where he trains.
To highlight this he says, “I control everything myself and make my own plans. You can be anywhere and get good training. It is more about yourself. People say Thailand has the best training camps. Well, how many fighters train in Thailand? A million. But how many of them are successful? Barely a few.”
With this confidence, self-assuredness, and a full training camp, Nattawut is excited to face Tawanchai in a Muay Thai Bout that promises to be action-packed with intensity on June 8.