Jo Nattawut shocked the world when he stepped in on just a few days’ notice to fight ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai last October under kickboxing rules.
“Smokin” Jo lost a narrow decision, but with the rematch scheduled for ONE 167 on Prime Video on Friday, June 7 – and with Tawanchai’s gold hanging in the balance in Bangkok, Thailand’s Impact Arena – Nattawut feels that the stars have aligned for this monumental matchup.
“I looked at the rankings. They have a ranking for a reason, right? So, we all [knew the fight was] coming, and also the fans of ONE want to see it. And he just beat Superbon, too,” Nattawut said.
Since their encounter at ONE Friday Fights 15, the pair have since gone on to win formidable bouts.
ONE 167 on Prime Video is coming to you live in U.S. primetime on June 7, featuring a World Title showdown between Tawanchai and Jo Nattawut, the return of Rodtang, Kade Ruotolo’s highly anticipated MMA debut, Mikey Musumeci’s quest for revenge against Gabriel Sousa, and MORE 🤯… pic.twitter.com/um1j07UPUS
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Nattawut defeated Luke Lessei in another Muay Thai firefight last December. Meanwhile, Tawanchai defended his crown against former featherweight kickboxing king Superbon, so the pair are both in great form heading into ONE 167’s prolific main event.
Jo Nattawut plans to avenge the loss against Tawanchai at ONE 167
While ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai has meticulously studied his first outing with Jo Nattawut, #3-ranked contender “Smokin” is treating the sequel with the champ as the next round in their said rivalry.
Nattawut isn’t coming into the bout with a structured game plan, either. Instead, he plans to use the very same skills he brought to the table last time around, all while figuring out the Muay Thai king’s plan as the contest unfolds.
“It’s just the next round to me. The plan is not complicated. We just go in there and you see what’s going to happen and you go figure it out from there. Going with the flow would be the best way, for me,” Nattawut said.
In an interview with Sportsmanor, Jo Nattawut talked about his gameplay ahead of the fight, and revealed the secret behind his success.
The massive encounter goes down on Friday, June 7, in the main event of ONE 167 on Prime Video. The stacked card will see other icons return such as ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon, as well as British legend Liam Harrison.