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From a beachside bar in Pattaya to ONE Championship gold, Thailand's 'Beautiful Left' faces his toughest test yet after a devastating leg injury threatens his kickboxing dreams.
BANGKOK — The sound was crisp and unmistakable. Inside the hallowed Lumpinee Stadium, where legends are born and careers are shattered, Tawanchai PK Saenchai heard his leg break before he felt the pain. Liu Mengyang's fourth inside calf kick in 52 seconds had found its mark with surgical precision, sending Thailand's reigning ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion crumpling to the canvas on December 19, 2025. As medical staff rushed to stabilize the 26-year-old fighter's shattered leg, the deafening roar that had greeted Tawanchai's ring walk fell silent. The man they called "The Star Southpaw" and "The Beautiful Left" was being stretchered from the ring, his ambitious quest to become a two sport world champion brutally halted in less than a minute. It was an unlikely ending for a fighter whose left kicks have broken opponents' arms and whose technical brilliance has earned him comparisons to Muay Thai legends. More significantly, it marked the second crushing setback in nine months for Tawanchai's kickboxing ambitions, raising questions about whether Thailand's most decorated young Muay Thai fighter can truly conquer both disciplines at the sport's highest level.
From Poverty to Purpose
Born Narongsak Kaewmala on April 7, 1999, in the coastal resort city of Pattaya, Tawanchai's introduction to Muay Thai came not from ambition but necessity. His family's circumstances were dire—his parents had separated when he was young, leaving his father, a former Muay Thai f ighter himself, to raise him alone. Money was scarce. Hope was scarcer. "Being on this journey, I can support myself, and help my dad out," Tawanchai would later reflect. It was the kind of quiet determination that would come to define his career—born not from swagger but from survival.
At seven years old, Tawanchai's world changed during a chance encounter at Thepprasit Stadium. As his father drove past the venue daily on the way to work, young Narongsak would peer through the windows, mesmerized by the fighters inside. One evening, his father took him to watch a fight. The experience ignited something primal in the boy —a passion that would transform his life. Within weeks, he began training at Petchrungruang gym in Pattaya under the ring name Jatukam Petchrungruang.
After less than a year of training, he had his first professional fight—at a beachside bar on Pattaya Beach, no less. He knocked out his opponent in the first round with a left kick, earning 800 baht (approximately $24) in tips from foreign spectators. He still remembers the elation of holding those bills, the first money he'd ever earned himself. "I remember being so happy," he recalled years later. That same left kick —refined over thousands of hours—would become his calling card, a weapon that would eventually break arms, shatter legs, and propel him to world championship glory.
The Bangkok Crucible
By 14, Tawanchai had outgrown the regional circuits of Chonburi Province and the Eastern region. He made his debut at the prestigious Lumpinee Boxing Stadium—the Madison Square Garden of Muay Thai— winning by unanimous decision. It was a watershed moment. Lumpinee Stadium represented the pinnacle of traditional Muay Thai, where f ighters earned not just purses but respect, where victories were measured not in social media followers but in the knowing nods of old trainers who had seen it all.
After completing lower secondary school, Jatukam made a pivotal decision. In 2015, at just 16 years old, he moved to Bangkok permanently, joining the renowned P.K. Saenchai Muay Thai Gym. It was here that he shed his old ring name and became "Tawanchai," adopting the gym's name as his surname—a common practice in Thai Muay Thai culture that signifies loyalty and belonging. The gym, run by the formidable
Sia Kaek and later increasingly managed by his son Game, was a sprawling facility with five rings and close to 40 f ighters on its roster. Training at P.K. Saenchai meant rubbing shoulders with elite fighters like Rodlek, Sangmanee, Pongsiri, and Muangthai. Most significantly, it meant access to the legendary Saenchai PK Saenchai himself—a four-division Lumpinee champion and arguably one of the greatest pound-for-pound Muay Thai fighters of all time.
"Saenchai has motivated me to aim for excellence. I admire his unmatched technique and innovative approach, which I strive to emulate in my own career."
Under Saenchai's mentorship, Tawanchai began to evolve. His early aggressive, brawling style gave way to something more refined—the muay femur approach, a technical, cerebral fighting style that emphasized timing, distance management, and efficiency. Where young Tawanchai had once rushed forward seeking exchanges, the maturing f ighter learned patience, learned to read opponents like a chess master studying a board.
The transformation wasn't just technical. At P.K. Saenchai, the training was rigorous and unforgiving. Morning runs started unofficially at 6 a.m., with fighters trickling to the park by 6:15. After a 5-minute bike ride back to the gym, they'd work through bagwork routines—knees, teeps, kicks— before strength and conditioning sessions with the gym's dedicated coach. Afternoon training ran from 2 to 6 p.m., featuring pad work, clinching, and sparring. But P.K. Saenchai was no hand-holding operation. Nobody tracked attendance or motivated stragglers. The gym's focus was squarely on its roster fighters—the ones who brought glory and revenue. For everyone else, self-discipline was paramount. You showed up, you worked, or you faded away. Tawanchai showed up.
The Year of Reckoning: 2018
In February 2017, at just 18 years old, Tawanchai claimed his first significant title—the Thailand 126-pound championship—by defeating Wayunoi Petchkiatpetch at Lumpinee Stadium. But 2018 would become his defining year, the season that transformed him from prospect to star. On September 7, 2018, Tawanchai faced Kulabdam Sor Jor Piekuthai, the reigning 2017 Muay Thai Fighter of the Year and a two-time Lumpinee Stadium champion.
Kulabdam was everything Tawanchai aspired to be— decorated, feared, respected. The fight went to decision. Tawanchai won. Kulabdam's camp was unconvinced. They believed their fighter had been off his game, that a rematch would prove different. They negotiated for another bout weeks later. In October 2018, at Lumpinee Stadium, they met again. Tawanchai won again. Still, Kulabdam wasn't satisfied. Pride demanded a trilogy.
On November 8, 2018, at the Thailand Muay Thai Expo, they faced off for the third time —this time with a 6 million baht (approximately $180,000) side bet on the line. The pressure was immense. Tawanchai won the decision, securing not just the money but his reputation. At 19 years old, he had defeated one of Thailand's best fighters three consecutive times.
The trilogy victories catapulted Tawanchai into the national spotlight. In December 2018, he was awarded the Lumpinee Stadium Fighter of the Year, the Sports Authority of Thailand Fighter of the Year, and the Siam Kela Fighter of the Year—a trifecta of honors that confirmed his arrival among Thailand's elite. "When I moved to Bangkok, I felt that I could pursue a career in Muay Thai," Tawanchai later explained. "The point when I started to feel that I had become famous was when I won against Kulabdam in three consecutive fights at Lumpinee Stadium. But I really became famous worldwide when I joined ONE."
The Technical Virtuoso
What makes Tawanchai exceptional isn't just his left kick—though that weapon deserves its reputation. At 5'11" (180 cm) with a 70-inch reach, he possesses unusual physical dimensions for the featherweight division. These attributes allow him superior distance management, giving him the space to deploy his signature techniques while staying just out of range of opponents' counters. Fighting from a southpaw stance, Tawanchai has developed a devastating arsenal.
His inside calf kick—the very weapon that would later be used against him by Liu Mengyang—can cripple an opponent's mobility within seconds. His body kick to the liver has ended fights by making hardened f ighters crumple in agony. His high kicks, delivered with deceptive speed, have broken arms and secured knockouts. But technique extends beyond kicking. Tawanchai's teep (push kick) is a masterclass in range control, reminiscent of the hybrid side teep popularized by legends like Samart Payakaroon.
His footwork is fluid and economical, allowing him to create angles and evade strikes with minimal wasted movement. In the clinch, he's equally dangerous, using sharp knees, elbows, and sweeps to control and damage opponents at close range. Perhaps most importantly, Tawanchai fights with his mind. He's a patient f ighter who doesn't waste energy on unnecessary strikes.
He reads opponents, identifies patterns, and capitalizes on openings with surgical precision. This cerebral approach—the hallmark of muay femur style— makes him dangerous even when he appears to be on the defensive. "I am a Muay Femur, so I am not too crazy about going forward in the f ight," he explained before his ONE Championship debut. "I have a classic style—I like to take my time and attack fast. I think it's beautiful to watch and very classy."
The International Stage
Success in Thailand's traditional circuits was never going to be enough. On July 27, 2019, Tawanchai ventured outside Thailand for the first time, competing under kickboxing rules at the Wu Lin Feng World Cup in China. He won by decision, proving his versatility. But the experience exposed gaps in his game—particularly his boxing, which hadn't been tested as rigorously under pure kickboxing rules where clinch work is prohibited. In October 2020, ONE Championship came calling.
The world's largest martial arts organization offered Tawanchai the platform he craved— global exposure, high-level competition, and the respect that comes from f ighting the world's best. On May 15, 2021, Tawanchai made his promotional debut at ONE: Dangal against Ireland's Sean Clancy. He announced his arrival with authority, knocking out Clancy at 35 seconds into the third round with a thunderous head kick.
His precision striking and methodical dominance served notice that a new force had entered ONE's Muay Thai division. But the path to gold wasn't immediate. On August 27, 2021, Tawanchai faced a critical test against the legendary Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong, a multiple-time kickboxing world champion with tremendous experience and ring craft.
In a closely contested battle, Tawanchai lost by split decision. It was a humbling but educational experience. On January 14, 2022, Tawanchai rebounded emphatically, knocking out his close friend Saemapetch Fairtex in the first round with a devastating right hook. The victory was bittersweet—defeating a friend is never easy —but it demonstrated Tawanchai's championship mentality.
Championship Glory
On September 29, 2022, at ONE 161, Tawanchai faced Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy for the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Championship. Petchmorakot was no ordinary champion—he had held the title since February 2020 and successfully defended it four times. The Thai veteran was experienced, durable, and technically sound. Over five rounds, Tawanchai showcased the full breadth of his evolution.
He controlled distance masterfully, landed cleaner strikes, and demonstrated the patience and ring generalship that defined his style. When the final bell rang, the judges' scorecards were unanimous: Tawanchai PK Saenchai was the new ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion. At 23 years old, he had achieved what he'd been working toward since that first fight at a Pattaya bar. The kid who fought to help his father could now call himself a world champion. The title defenses that followed were equally impressive.
On February 25, 2023, he destroyed Russia's Jamal Yusupov in just 52 seconds with a devastating leg kick TKO. On August 5, 2023, in a kickboxing bout against Davit Kiria, Tawanchai literally broke his opponent's arm in the third round with a thunderous kick. On December 22, 2023, he defeated the formidable Superbon Singha Mawynn by unanimous decision—a significant victory given Superbon's status as the reigning ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion.
He successfully defended against Jo Nattawut twice in 2024, cementing his position as the division's undisputed king. Then, on January 24, 2025, in a highly anticipated rematch with Superbon at ONE 170, Tawanchai delivered his most emphatic performance yet—stopping the legendary Thai fighter in the second round with a technical knockout that earned him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
The Kickboxing Gambit
But supremacy in Muay Thai wasn't enough. Tawanchai harbored bigger ambitions—to become a two-sport world champion, holding both the Muay Thai and kickboxing titles simultaneously. It was an audacious goal that would require mastering the subtle but significant differences between the two disciplines. On March 23, 2025, at ONE 172 in Saitama, Japan, Tawanchai challenged K-1 Champion Masaaki Noiri for the ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Championship.
The stakes were enormous. Noiri was a decorated kickboxer with sharp boxing and knockout power. More crucially, kickboxing rules prohibit the clinch work that had been such a vital part of Tawanchai's Muay Thai dominance. In the third round, disaster struck. As Tawanchai threw a knee, his guard dropped momentarily. Noiri seized the opening and landed a clean punch that sent the Thai champion down. It was the first time Tawanchai had been stopped in his ONE Championship tenure. The loss shattered the aura of invincibility that had followed him throughout his rise.
"In the last fight with Masaaki, I made a mistake and got hit by his punch. I don't feel like I performed poorly. The plan was good, but he came prepared. When I threw a knee, my guard dropped, and I got caught cleanly."
The defeat sparked inevitable questions about whether Tawanchai truly belonged among kickboxing's elite. For the proud Thai champion, those doubts became fuel. Rather than rushing back into competition, he allowed his body to heal from accumulated injuries while systematically addressing the technical flaws Noiri had exposed. Back at P.K. Saenchai Muaythaigym, he dissected every moment of the loss, identifying defensive vulnerabilities and crafting solutions with his coaching staff. "I've been training exceptionally hard, reviewing my weaknesses, and strengthening my defense," Tawanchai said before his return. "I won't go into detail, but just wait and see the improvements in this fight. Some people might say kickboxing isn't for me, but I believe I can adapt and prove myself."
The Cruelest Lesson
On December 19, 2025, Tawanchai returned to the ring at ONE Friday Fights 137 to face Liu Mengyang, a dangerous 22-year-old Chinese striker with upset victories over both Noiri and Rajadamnern Stadium champion Shadow Singha Mawynn. It was supposed to be Tawanchai's redemption story, his first step back toward kickboxing championship contention. Instead, it became his nightmare. Tawanchai opened aggressively, launching his trademark teep that briefly knocked Liu to the canvas.
But the Chinese fighter rose immediately and fired back with a sharp right hand that drove Tawanchai backward. As the Thai champion attempted to manage distance with push kicks, Liu remained patient, waiting for his moment. Then came the leg kicks. Liu swung four brutal inside calf kicks at Tawanchai's lead leg. Each one landed with sickening precision on the same spot. The fourth kick produced an audible crack that echoed through Lumpinee Stadium. Tawanchai's leg buckled beneath him. He collapsed to the canvas, trying valiantly to rise but unable to beat the referee's count.
The fight was over in 52 seconds. Medical staff rushed to stabilize his shattered leg as he was stretchered from the ring. The silence in the stadium was deafening. The fighter who had broken opponents' arms with his kicks now lay broken himself, his leg fractured, his kickboxing ambitions in ruins. Liu's victory wasn't luck—it was meticulous preparation. For weeks leading up to the fight, he and his coach at Shunyuan Fight Club had studied Tawanchai's style obsessively. They identified three specific techniques that could potentially end the contest: the calf kick, a devastating body kick, and power punches. They drilled each one relentlessly, waiting for the right moment to execute.
"I felt a very crisp sound. His legs were too thin. Maybe my feet were too strong," Liu said afterward, showing genuine concern for his fallen opponent. "I feel very happy and very excited, but at the same time I'm a little worried about Tawanchai. I saw he hurt his leg and I'm a little worried about him. I hope he can recover soon."
The Road Ahead
As 2025 draws to a close, Tawanchai faces the longest layoff of his career —not by choice, but by necessity. The leg fracture will require significant rehabilitation. The mental recovery may take even longer. Two devastating losses in less than a year have exposed vulnerabilities in his kickboxing game that won't be easily fixed. Yet those who know Tawanchai's story—from beachside bars to world championship glory—aren't writing his obituary just yet. This is the same f ighter who overcame poverty through sheer will.
The same teenager who defeated a decorated champion three consecutive times. The same athlete who transformed himself from brawler to technical virtuoso under the tutelage of legends. At 26, he remains the reigning and defending ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion with four successful title defenses. His Muay Thai legacy is already secure. His striking against Superbon in January 2025 proved he's still operating at the highest level of his primary discipline.
The question isn't whether Tawanchai can remain a Muay Thai champion —it's whether he'll abandon his two-sport dream or double down on it. His kickboxing record in ONE Championship now stands at two wins and two devastating losses. Each setback has come from a different weapon: Noiri's punches, Liu's leg kicks. The gaps in his game are real. But dismissing Tawanchai's kickboxing potential would be premature. After all, he defeated Superbon—the reigning ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion—twice in Muay Thai. The skills are there. The question is whether nine months of rehabilitation and soul-searching will be enough to bridge the gap between Muay Thai mastery and kickboxing dominance.
"I can't say whether I will become a legend yet," Tawanchai said earlier this year. "It depends on my future performances to convince fans all over the world to consider me a legend." Those future performances will have to wait. For now, Tawanchai's Beautiful Left is grounded, his Star Southpaw stance sidelined by injury and circumstance. But in a sport where fighters are defined not by their defeats but by their comebacks, his story is far from finished. As he begins the long road to recovery, surrounded by family and the same coaches who helped transform a poor boy from Pattaya into a world champion, one thing remains clear: when Tawanchai PK Saenchai returns to the ring, the world will be watching. And this time, he'll have something to prove.
Legacy in the Making
Win or lose in kickboxing, Tawanchai has already secured his place in Muay Thai history. With over 160 professional fights, more than 130 victories, and championship reigns at multiple levels, his résumé speaks for itself. His 2018 trifecta of Fighter of the Year awards—from Lumpinee Stadium, the Sports Authority of Thailand, and Siam Kela—places him among Thailand's elite.
Outside the ring, Tawanchai has become a role model for young fighters dreaming of international success. His journey from poverty to prominence resonates with Thailand's working class, who see in him the possibility of transformation through discipline and dedication. His social media presence has grown to 1.4 million followers on TikTok alone, making him one of the most recognizable faces in combat sports. "Combat sports can make you rich," he's told aspiring fighters.
"If you want to go this route, you have to go all the way. Be diligent, disciplined, and focus on your goals. I want everyone to grit their teeth and be patient." It's advice born from lived experience—from a seven-year-old watching f ights through stadium windows to a world champion being stretchered from the ring.
Whether his kickboxing dreams will be realized remains uncertain. But his impact on Muay Thai and his inspiration to a new generation of fighters is already assured. As Tawanchai heals and plans his next move, one truth remains: legends aren't born in victory alone. They're forged in the fires of adversity, in the courage to rise after devastating falls, in the refusal to let setbacks define destinies. The Beautiful Left has fallen. Now the world waits to see if The Star Southpaw can rise again.
Sources and References
This article was compiled from verified sources including official fight records, interviews, and biographical materials. All factual claims have been cross-referenced across multiple sources for accuracy.
10. Liu Mengyang Breaks Tawanchai's Leg In 52 Seconds, Calls Out Superbon For Title Shot - beIN SPORTS
