Yodphupa Does Just Enough to Escape ONE Friday Night Fights 63 With Win over Soner Sen

Yodphupa Wimanair had to wonder if he could ever recapture the magic in ONE Championship. Three straight losses put Wimanair in a tough spot for advocating for tougher matches or an opportunity to fight for a championship. Online boxing news shows Yodphupa got back on track against Turkish opponent Soner Sen at ONE Friday Night Fights 63 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Yodphupa picking up his fifth win at ONE Championship was important for the 20-year-old Muay Thai fighter. He initially picked up attention in the sport for winning the Road to ONE Thailand Tournament. When Yodphupa arrived in the promotion, he won four straight fights.

Sen didn’t make things easy for Yodphupa. While Yodphupa knocked down Sen at the end of the second round, Yodphupa also took some good shots. When the fight made the judges’ scorecards, not everyone was in agreement about who would win.

However, ultimately, Yodphupa picked up a majority decision. It halted Yodphupa’s three-fight losing streak. Sen has now lost back-to-back fights. The challenge for ONE’s Muay Thai division is the number of fights these athletes compete in during a year.

Many of the top Muay Thai fighters compete three to five times a year. Yodphupa has to be happy to be back in the win column. The challenge for him will be seeing if he can carry that pace throughout an entire year or for a sustained amount of time.

Sanpet Puts Everyone on Notice

Becoming a star in combat sports can happen in plenty of ways. One of the more straightforward ways people become stars is by producing highlight reel finishes. Sanpet Sor Salacheep hadn’t done that before Friday night.

During a 130-pound catchweight co-main event, Sanpet changed that narrative by chopping down a taller opponent. Sanpet waded through the reach of his larger opponent, Nuenongubon Wankhongohm MBK, to focus on landing hard body shots.

By the time the first round ended, Nuenongubon was not in good shape. He was on weak legs and wouldn’t last much longer without finding a strategy. Sanpet never allowed Nuenongubon to recover. Sanpet kept the pressure on and focused on landing combinations.

During the second round, Sanpet landed a flurry that forced a stoppage. He hopes this victory will lead to more stoppages in the ONE Championship.

Chatpichit Does Enough in Final Round to Earn Decision Win

Chatpichit SorSorToipadriew had to be nervous entering the third round of his 113-pound Muay Thai catchweight bout with Sagaengarm Jitmuangnon. Through the first two frames, both men were effective at different points.

Heading into the final round, many observers agreed that whoever won the final round would take home the fight. Chatpichit didn’t back down from what his approach needed to be. Chatpichit attempted a wild elbow that earned him a second knockdown.

While many moments in the fight went Chatpichit’s way, that may be the one shot that helped sway the judges in his favor.

British Fighter Opens Event With Strong Knockout Win

David Cooke presented the ONE audience with a strong example of what he can bring to the octagon. Bringing only one professional fight into the cage with Kohei Takegami, Cooke came out and pressured his opponent immediately. 

While Takegami was able to survive the opening blitz, the Japanese fighter wilted rather quickly. Cooke was able to get Takegami against the ropes. When Takegami was trapped, Cooke unleashed a vicious combination that sent him to the canvas.

It was Cooke’s second professional win and capped off a rousing first effort in ONE.

Pansak Wor Wantawee Finds Success

Pansak Wor Wantawee got the kind of debut fight in a promotion that all fighters should get. There was no quick finish or a result that would leave him with an inflated ego. Pansak was in a tough 127-pound Muay Thai catchweight bout with Pornsanae Sor Phumipat.

While Pansak kept the pressure, Pornsanae usually did enough to keep Pansak off balance. During the final round, Pornsanae leaned on some strong knees and elbows to try and steal the fight. In the end, Pansak was able to pick up his 43rd career victory.

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Patakake Sinbimuaythai wanted to keep his opponent off balance. One thing that Tuangsap Sor Salacheep wasn’t expecting during their 128-pound catchweight Muay Thai fight was a sharp elbow.

Especially not with how the fight started; Patakake started conservatively and didn’t turn up the volume much during the first three minutes. However, Patakake wasn’t going to sit back forever.

When Tuangsap decided to be more aggressive, Patakake met the aggressiveness with an elbow in the second round. Patakake’s elbow shook Tuangsap, who went down 1:11 into the second round.

Chartpayak Makes Major Splash in Round 1

Chartpayak Saksatoon used all of his collective fight experience to make sure Mowgli Chor Ajalaboon had no chance during their 126-pound catchweight Muay Thai bout. Chartpayak attacked quickly once the bell rang.

He never stopped coming forward. The best MMA news sites show forward pressure can break down opponents quickly. Mowgli attempted to take advantage of Chartpayak’s aggressiveness by catching him with counterstrikes on the way in.

However, Chartpayak absorbed all of his counters with little issue. Being willing to wade through the fire put Chartpayak in a position to land power punches from the pocket. Chartparak sparked Mowgli in the first round with a left hook that put his opponent out at the 2:04 mark of the first round.

Here’s a look at the other fights not mentioned above:

• Muay Thai catchweight (117.5 pounds), Rak Erawan win by decision over Nicolas Leite Silva
• Muay Thai flyweight, Sulaiman Looksuan win by decision over Tomoki Sato
• Muay Thai flyweight, Kimura Ayumu win by decision over Silviu Vitez
• Muay Thai catchweight (136 pounds), Gregor Thom win by knockout over Taku Kondo, Round 1 2:08

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

By Dean McHugh.