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The long-awaited ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title unification bout between Joseph “The Hurricane” Lasiri and Prajanchai PK Saenchai is closer. It will take place at ONE Championship’s last show of the year on Friday, December 22.
Reigning king Lasiri will face interim titleholder Prajanchai in a massive rematch. The fight is part of ONE Friday Fights 46: Tawanchai vs. Superbon, live at the world-famous Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
HIGH STAKES!
This high-stakes matchup will come 19 months after their first clash. The two fought before at ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title clash at ONE 157 in May 2022.
On that occasion, Lasiri shocked the world in Singapore. His performance of a lifetime to dethrone the Thai phenom in a contest he entered as the underdog was remarkable.
The Italian-Moroccan star delivered a relentless display! He forced Prajanchai to retire on his stool after the third round, handing him the belt and sending Muay Thai fans across the globe into a frenzy.
But after losing a bid for Rodtang Jitmuangnon’s ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title last November, Lasiri has been out of action and unable to defend his strawweight strap.
Meanwhile, Prajanchai has been on a tear since his shocking World Title defeat to “The Hurricane.”
The Thai phenom returned with a unanimous decision win over Kompet Fairtex at ONE Friday Fights 1 this past January to earn a shot at the interim belt.
He rematched former divisional king Sam-A Gaiyanghadao for the ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Championship in June and knocked out his legendary compatriot in round two.
Prajanchai then had a quick foray into the kickboxing ranks last month while he waited for his chance to unify the Muay Thai belts. He defeated Akram Hamidi by unanimous decision with another impressive outing that pushed his winning streak to three.
Now, the elite strikers will meet again to restore a single ruler at the top of the strawweight Muay Thai division.
Although Prajanchai has never given excuses for his first loss to Lasiri, others have suggested he was suffering from an illness and wasn’t working at full capacity.
Of course, “The Hurricane” wants to dispel any notions that his victory was due to an off-night for his opponent. Meanwhile, the Thai would love to even the score with the only man to beat him in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
The chance to silence the doubters or take revenge will be a huge source of motivation for each man. Given their fast-paced styles of combat, the global fan base should be treated to an epic World Title showdown.
Stay tuned to onefc.com for more news and announcements about ONE Friday Fights 46: Tawanchai vs. Superbon.
