MMA
Tawanchai explains decision to vacate ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title
Published
1 month agoon
Tawanchai PK Saenchai officially vacated his ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title on Tuesday, July 21. The move clears the path for Nico Carrillo to be elevated from interim titleholder to undisputed champion of the division.
The 27-year-old has been sidelined since December 2025 following surgery for an injury suffered against Liu Mengyang, and the decision carried genuine weight for a fighter of his stature.
“Throughout my reign as champion, I felt so happy and honored to defend my belt in front of fans all over the world. Every athlete dreams of holding onto their title for as long as possible, and I'm no exception,†he said.
“But after taking time to reflect, especially regarding my injury, I am officially announcing that I am vacating my World Championship Title today. I want to give the interim champion and the top-ranked contenders the chance to chase their dreams.â€
Tawanchai insists the decision was entirely his own
Tawanchai PK Saenchai made clear nobody pressured him into this call. Having spent years understanding what a title shot means to fighters chasing gold, he arrived at the decision entirely on his own terms.
He has largely stayed out of the spotlight since suffering the injury, letting his recovery play out away from constant public scrutiny. When he does return, Muay Thai will remain his clear priority, though he has not closed the door on his two-sport ambitions.
“I thought this through carefully and realized this is the right path so the organization can keep moving forward. I want to see other fighters get their shot, and I want the fans to stay happy watching the new generation compete,†he said.
“I'm currently back to about 70 to 80 percent. I expect to make my return pretty soon, likely early next year.
“I am 100 percent sticking with Muay Thai for sure. As for kickboxing, I still have that dream. I still have unfinished business with that belt.â€
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MMA
Vitor Petrino fires back at Valter Walker: ‘That guy is a clown’
Published
39 minutes agoon
September 1, 2026
Petrino isn't letting Valter
Walker’s latest jab go unanswered.
Petrino (15-2) extended his win streak to four with a unanimous
decision over Serghei
Spivac on Aug. 22 to further ascend the heavyweight rankings.
Walker (16-1), who's also among the top-ranked heavyweights in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship, took a shot at Petrino on
social media by posting a photo from his recent fight, labeling it
boring.
Petrino has now fired back.
Vitor Petrino says he has repeatedly asked the UFC to book
Valter Walker
In a recent interview with Sherdog’s Marcelo Alonso, Petrino
responded to Walker's comments about his fight with Spivac,
claiming that he's campaigned for a matchup against the grappling
specialist many times, to no avail.
“That guy is a clown. Nobody respects him. I don't even want to
talk about him much,†Petrino said. “I've asked for that fight
several times and I don't know why the UFC hasn't made it
happen.â€
Petrino’s interest in the matchup isn't new. His coach, Cristiano
Marcello,
previously told Sherdog that Petrino had accepted a challenge
from Walker.
“Unlike him, who has already said he's not interested in fighting
the top guys, I like challenging myself,†Petrino said, taking
another shot at his countryman. “I'll fight anyone in the Top 10. I
love to challenge myself.â€
Walker is on a five-fight win streak, with all five wins coming via
leg-based submissions, including four heel hooks.
MMA
Usman Nurmagomedovs former rival returns for PFL Chicago
Published
2 hours agoon
September 1, 2026
MMA
Kai Asakura finds new life in UFC following rocky flyweight start
Published
3 hours agoon
September 1, 2026
Asakura is reinvigorated at bantamweight following a rocky
start in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Asakura stopped Qileng Aori
with a second-round technical knockout at
UFC Shanghai on Aug. 29. The Japanese star is now 2-0 in the
UFC bantamweight division after losing his first two UFC fights via
submission at flyweight. He detailed how his approach has changed
since the move up and broke down his finishing move against Aori
soon after the victory.
Kai Asakura says bantamweight gives him more power, speed and
confidence
Asakura claims that he can be more assertive with his offense at
135 pounds, a significant improvement on how he felt while
competing at 125 pounds.
“At bantamweight, I have more power and I have more speed,†Asakura
said in a post-fight interview. “So, I feel like I can fight with
more confidence than at flyweight.â€
He also broke down the sequence that led to the finish.
“There were two things,†Asakura added. “The opponent was backing
away and he was trying to counter with the right, so I made the
distance a little bit closer and he was also focusing on the body
shots, so I put a head kick in there.â€
With two straight victories at bantamweight, Asakura now hopes to
face a ranked 135-pounder next.
“I want to fight in Top 15, anyone.â€
“I want to fight in top 15, anyone.”
After back-to-back finishes at bantamweight, Kai Asakura
(@kai_1031_) has
his sights set on a ranked matchup next time out
#UFCShanghaiMain Card Results âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/G8E8FUHmUD pic.twitter.com/3YQb84t02n
— UFC News (@UFCNews)
August 29, 2026
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