Rak Erawan Hopes Win over Yodnumchai Fairtex During ONE Friday Night Fights 80 Will Pay Off Big

One thing that Rak Erawan should be proud of on his fighting resume is his activity level. Erawan always answers the phone when ONE Championship asks him to fight on a Friday night. What Erawan needs to prove is that he can be a consistent enough competitor to earn a spot on the main roster.

When Erawan headlines this weekend at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium against Yodnumchai Fairtex, he will have a lot to prove. According to MMAfighting latest news, Erawan’s fight this weekend will be his fourth in six months. Erawan is coming off a disappointing loss to Songchainoi Kiatsongrit.

Yodnumchai isn’t an opponent that will give anything to Erawan easily. During Yodnumchai’s time in ONE so far, he has passed every test with flying colors. Yodnumchai is 5-0 and has knocked out four of his opponents.

Erawan has been solid in ONE but has been on the wrong end of decisions twice. When Erawan has been at his best, the fight doesn’t come close to needing the judges to determine a winner. He picked up four knockouts during his four victories in ONE. Expect a lot of high-paced action in this fight.

Chartpayak Saksatoon Looks for Quick Resolution

Chartpayak Saksatoon announced his intentions after he made his debut last December. When people step in the ring with Chartpayak, online boxing news shows that they are in for a rough evening. Chartpayak debuted last December when he knocked out Dabdam Por Tor Tor Thongtawee in the first round.

Chartpayak’s next two fights followed the same script. He piled up two quick knockouts and only has an average fight time of 1 minute, 24 seconds. Chartpayak’s next challenge may be to see what happens when the fight goes longer than 90 seconds.

Petnamngam PK Saenchai will be Chartpayak’s opponent this weekend. He isn’t known for putting opponents away. Both of Petnamngam’s fights in ONE have gone the distance. Petnamngam is a vastly experienced fighter, competing in 249 professional fights.

Petnamngam is coming off an upset of the previously undefeated Amir Abdulmuslimov last time out.

Nongam Fairtex Looks to Ramp Up Pace

Nongam Fairtex left the fans wanting more with how she debuted in ONE. When Nongam made her debut in April 2023, she picked up a knockout 20 seconds into the third round. She followed that up with another KO victory, this time in the first round just three months later.

While Nongam has improved her record to 5-0 in ONE, her activity has slowed down considerably. She has only competed in one Muay Thai battle this year, a unanimous decision victory over Tsz Ching Phoebe Lo in May. 

Nongam’s next opponent will be an interesting one. Chabakaew Sor KanJanchai, 18, came to ONE as a teenage sensation. Understandably, anyone looking at online boxing news will see that Chabakaew has had some major growing pains.

She is 1-1 so far in ONE but will have plenty of other opportunities to climb the ladder in the 110-pound Muay Thai division. Nongam would like to follow a similar path to Stamp Fairtex.

Stamp is a long-time MMA competitor in the ONE MMA division. Stamp, who is known for her energetic personality, eventually battled her way to a championship. Nongam has set herself up for a fast rise to the top. She just needs one or two more strong performances to seal the deal with casual fans.

Cooke Would Like to Up the Ante

There are few things better for young fighters than a dominant performance during their debut in a promotion. British fighter David Cooke blasted Kohei Takegami in the first round of a fight back in May. Cooke didn’t have much professional experience before he made the leap to ONE.

Cooke will be focused on denying Jang Seon Gyu the opportunity to experience the same high. The South Korean fighter will be making his MMA lightweight debut this weekend. Jang is 2-0 in his career and will be eager to see that success continue on a larger platform.

Both of Jang’s victories came by knockout. This is a good opportunity for each fighter to display their finishing abilities. Keeping an undefeated record intact is an important goal for each fighter.

Kholmirzaev Has Much to Prove

Avazbek Kholmirzaev has felt comfortable ever since he entered ONE’s MMA lineup. The 125-pound scrapper from Uzbekistan has been able to end fights whether he’s on his feet or on the mat. During Kholmirzaev’s first three fights, he produced three stoppages.

Two of those three victories came by decision. But fighters often find that in MMA, the more fights they get into their career, the more difficult things can be. There are so many different styles of opponent, it’s hard to be truly prepared for everything you may encounter.

Bektur Zhenishbek Uulu is ready to learn this same lesson himself. He is making his ONE debut and has picked up a pair of wins on the regional circuit. Uulu also isn’t afraid of the fight hitting the mat. During his short professional career, he has already wrapped up two submissions.

Uulu also has a lot of experience fighting in amateur fights. He has competed 14 times on the amateur circuit. Both men will be looking to impress the bosses with this fight.

Other fights on the card not mentioned above included:

• Muay Thai (atomweight), Yoddoi Kaewsamrit vs. Teeyai Wankhongohm MBK
• Muay Thai (140-pound catchweight), Lamnamkhong BS Muaythai vs. Anurak Wankhongohm MBK
• Muay Thai (featherweight), Thway Thit Win Hlaing vs. Mavlonbek Kakhkorov
• Muay Thai (114-pound catchweight), Petninmungkorn DrRatNamkangIceland vs. Komkrit J Power Roof Phuket
• Muay Thai (138-pound catchweight), Kongklai Sor Sommai vs. Deniz Demirkapu (Muay Thai – 138-pound catchweight)
• Muay Thai (117-pound catchweight), Emily Chong vs. Kokoz
• Submission grappling (flyweight), Shoya Ishiguro vs. Hiryu Niwa

Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.

By Dean McHugh.