ONE Championship: Liu Mengyang believes win over Tawanchai is ‘turning point of my career’
Chinese stand-out fighter has set his sights firmly on former ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion Superbon
Liu Mengyang recently shared a photo of his trainer standing alongside legendary Muay Thai star Tawanchai PK Saenchai. The image carried deep personal meaning.
As a 16-year-old prospect, Liu had messaged the coach asking for the chance to train under him. Eight years later, the Chinese stand-out found himself standing over Tawanchai after stopping the Thai icon in just 52 seconds at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on December 19.
Competing in the main event of ONE Friday Fights 137 in a featherweight kickboxing bout, the 22-year-old delivered a calf-kick stoppage that left fans inside the sold-out arena stunned.
Tawanchai, the reigning ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion and one of the most feared strikers in the sport, had been expected to test Liu’s credentials at the elite level in kickboxing. Instead, he became the victim of a result that Liu now describes as the defining moment of his career.
“I think this is the turning point of my career,” Liu told the Post. “Most importantly, I believe I have become closer to the title shot by winning against someone like Tawanchai.”
The fight opened with a reminder of Tawanchai’s pedigree. The Thai star launched a powerful push kick that briefly sent Liu to the canvas, a moment that might have rattled a less composed fighter.