ONE Championship is pulling out all of the stops for his or her historic ONE 170 card, held on the iconic Lumpinee Stadium this January. Included on this sensational occasion for Muay Thai is an electrical Muay Bouk conflict between Seksan and Soe Lin Oo and an exhilarating battle between Nabil Anane and the towering Scotsman, Nico Carillo, for the Interim Bantamweight Muay Thai crown.
Nevertheless, the primary occasion on this card is probably the most eagerly awaited; the extremely anticipated rematch between the reigning Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PKSaenchaigym, and Kickboxing World Champion, Superbon. This combat is a run-back of their sensational 2023 bout on Friday Fights 46 the place the reigning champion, Tawanchai, out-kicked the challenger in a five-round spectacle that was as a lot a battle of wits because it was of bodily ability.
On this article we’re going to look again on the final time these two champions confronted, explaining the stream and development of the combat earlier than looking forward to their most up-to-date bouts, going through veteran Muay Mat, Jo Nattawut, to assist us speculate on how this long-awaited rematch could play out.
The First Conflict
The primary bout in December 2023, was a conflict of elite Muay Thai IQ. Normally, when two skilled Thai veterans of opposing stances meet, the combat shortly evolves right into a battle of left vs proper kick supremacy however the southpaw champion, Tawanchai was shortly capable of set up management over vary with teeps and Muay Thai sidekicks, negating Superbon’s capability to press ahead and assault together with his dominant aspect.
As an alternative of kicking, Superbon tried to lure the champion onto the entrance foot and tried to counter Tawanchai’s physique kick with highly effective hooks. He had moments of success right here, however Tawanchai quickly tailored and would both cowl up and retreat from the punch or shut distance and tie Superbon’s arms up within the clinch.
Having been extra energetic on the earth of kickboxing within the leadup to this battle, Superbon’s clinch reactions had been a little bit sluggish and Tawanchai was capable of finding a house for a number of of his elbows. This put him inches forward of his opponent in any respect ranges and thus, he secured a hard-fought however unanimous win to reclaim his Featherweight strap.
What Has Occurred Since
Each fighters have been pretty inactive on the ONE Championship roster all through 2024. Tawanchai has solely fought as soon as this 12 months, towards Thai compatriot, the hard-hitting Jo Nattawut. Superbon has fought twice. As soon as to defend his Kickboxing title towards Marat Grigorian, the place he coated up behind the padding of his gloves and smothered the Armenian’s punches to be able to land highly effective knees, and as soon as in Muay Thai the place he additionally confronted Nattawut underneath Muay Thai guidelines, ending the combat with an elbow throughout the first spherical. This offers us solely a glimpse at how each males have developed since their first combat.
Nattawut was capable of take Superbon’s gameplan, countering Tawanchai’s left kicks with arms and enhancing upon it, carrying the champion’s dreaded kick after which unloading punches in mixtures with much more success.
Forcing the southpaw Tawanchai backward made it tougher for the champion to fireplace off his left kick and punching in bunches meant that he had a a lot tougher time defending. It was a gameplan that regarded prone to succeed till, within the fourth spherical, Tawanchai broke from his iconic kicking type and started to press ahead, pushing the challenger again with higher success to seize a slim, majority factors victory.
Superbon’s profitable recreation plan towards Grigorian isn’t one thing that would simply be replicated underneath Thai guidelines. The flexibility to elbow and clinch, mixed with the absence of padded gloves to make use of for protection would make the method extremely dangerous at finest.
Though Superbon’s combat towards Nattawut resulted in brutal style throughout the first spherical, when he landed a savage elbow, it does give us a glimpse into the challenger’s improvement since his unsuccessful bid for the title late final 12 months. He landed three elbows throughout the first spherical, every time as he was stepping ahead to crowd Nattawut whereas he unloaded punches. Contemplating he appeared, barely unprepared for Tawanchai’s elbows within the first bout, this exhibits that he has sharpened his Muay Thai particular reactions and closed one of many gaps that Tawanchai exploited within the first bout.
What This Tells Us About The Rematch
Each Tawanchai and Superbon are elite Muay Thai athletes whose ability and ring IQ imply that, although they’ve most well-liked types, they will adapt. It’s unlikely that the combat we’ll see subsequent 12 months will likely be a round-for-round repeat of their 2023 spectacle.
Nattawut confirmed that even Tawanchai isn’t proof against the tried and examined technique utilized by orthodox fighters once they problem a southpaw, and by pushing him backward was capable of negate his most well-liked left kick. Tawanchai was unable to defend punches thrown in quantity after he threw his left kick. Contemplating Superbon was ready for Nattawut’s punching mixtures of their latest bout, it’s protected to imagine he and his crew have seen this technique in motion and brought be aware.
Superbon’s sharp and correct elbows present that he’s been working closely on his Muay Thai craft and has closed the gaps in his recreation plan that Tawanchai has beforehand exploited. So, we will solely guess, however it appears that evidently Superbon will likely be extra assured if the combat develops right into a close-range battle.
Nevertheless, Tawanchai additionally proved towards Nattawut that he isn’t only a kicker. He can stress ahead, take a combat into deep water, and overwhelm even probably the most skilled adversary if the necessity arises.
Predictions?
The fights towards Nattawut present us that neither man is two-dimensional; they’ve the total arsenal of Muay Thai weapons at their disposal however in a battle between southpaw and orthodox fighters we will solely assume the fighter being pressed backward will likely be at an enormous drawback.
With a lot information, ability, and expertise at their disposal, any type of prediction for the rematch between these two titans this January could be pure hypothesis, all we will say is that each males have seemingly regarded again on their first bout and their most up-to-date outings and developed their gameplans for the upcoming problem.
All we will say with certainty is that this combat is bound to be legendary and worthy of being the primary occasion of ONE 170 and also you higher tune in on January twenty fourth to see the way it all unfolds!
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