Superbon Eyes Tawanchai Shot After Beating Nattawut

ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon has redemption, and another 26-pound gold belt, on his mind after scoring a stunning win in the ONE Friday Fights 81 headliner this past weekend. The Thai superstar emulated the feat of his fellow countryman Superlek Kiatmoo9 in the September 27 main event, when he hit opponent “Smokin” Jo Nattawut with an inch-perfect elbow to close the show in the opening round. 

In the bowels of the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, Superbon told reporters at the post-fight press conference that the fight-ending sequence was rehearsed during his fight camp. 

“At first when I saw him cut, I think that made me sure that [it would] work. Because when he threw his hand, you throw the left or the right, so I throw the elbow. The first time, if you can see him throw the right hand, I threw the left elbow, so he can’t cut. But the second time you saw the left hand, so I threw the right elbow. So that depends when it’s going down,” he said. 

In an interesting subplot to the ONE Friday Fights 81 main event, Nattawut is scheduled to challenge ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai in a trilogy fight for the gold at ONE 169: Atlanta in November. ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong indicated pre-fight that Superbon could snatch that opportunity with victory this past weekend. 

Now, that very scenario has come to pass. Superbon, for his part, is keen to step in and avenge his own narrow decision defeat to Tawanchai from ONE Friday Fights 46 this past December. 

“This [win] means I step closer to the belt. For me right now, because my goal is the belt, so I’m going to go there. Last time [we fought], I think I wasn’t a 100% before the fight. But I cannot say that. So next time I will be a 100%. If you see that fight, I think my technique, everything I do better, but my energy was not enough. So, when my energy is not enough, that’s why I lost that,” he said.