On December 22 in Bangkok, the ONE Championship will close out 2023 with ONE Friday Fights 46. In the main event of the evening, two Muay Thai superstars, Tawanchai and Superbon, will fight for the ONE Featherweight Championship (70.3 kg).
The main intrigue of the fight is whether Superbon, 33, who upon joining ONE focused on kickboxing, where he won gold, will be able to put aside the incredibly technical 24-year-old champion, Tavanchai?
The fight between these stars of one of the toughest forms of martial arts has been postponed several times due to illness and injury, but Superbon is determined to win gold.
“This fight could be the fight of the year,” says challenger Superbon, who previously held the ONE featherweight kickboxing title. He lost this title to Chingiz Allazov in January, but the fight with champion Tavanchay is an opportunity to end the year in style:
— At the beginning of the year, I lost my kickboxing belt. But at the end of the year, I had the opportunity to compete for gold in Muay Thai. I think this is the best opportunity to recover. If I win the Muay Thai world title next year, I plan to return my kickboxing belt. I don’t worry about the result, I just want to do my best so that the public can appreciate our efforts.
Superbon recognizes his opponent’s excellent physical fitness and technical skills, but he is also convinced that he can find a flaw in his game plan:
— The key to Tavanchai’s success lies in his natural talent, fitness and physique, as well as the great support from his training room. Tavanchai is a highly technical fighter. I should watch out for his left kicks, his great combinations – left kick and takedown. And don’t ignore his left hand. But he also has a weakness: when the battle lasts the entire distance, Tavanchai quickly runs out of gas in his tank.
What casts doubt on Superbon’s success is his focus on another sport: after joining ONE Championship, he competed exclusively in kickboxing, cementing his status as one of the sport’s greatest fighters. However, he believes that returning to Muay Thai will not be a big problem:
— I never considered myself a kickboxer. I have always been a Muay Thai fighter. And I don’t think Tavanchai has more experience in Muay Thai than me. For me, there is no difference between Muay Thai and kickboxing. In the early years, when I fought in Lumpini, my main weapons were my knees and elbows. It was my thing from the start. I just stopped using them for a while [в кикбоксинге]. But I still have these skills and can use them at any time.
Watch the broadcast of the ONE Friday Fights 46 tournament on January 22 at 3:30 p.m. Moscow time on , Match! Fighter”, the websites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.
Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
