Davit Kiria is out for redemption, and he’s going all in when he steps into the ONE Championship ring this weekend.
The Georgian striker is set to welcome Tawanchai PK Saenchai to the Singapore-based organization’s kickboxing ranks at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian on Friday, August 4, inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. He’s ready to kick off a run by taking out the featherweight Muay Thai king.
A chance for Davit Kiria to prove his metal at the promotion
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Despite having an accomplished career outside of ONE, Kiria has struggled to string together wins since his promotional debut in 2021.The 31-year-old suffered back-to-back losses last year, but he recently rebounded with a couple of wins outside of The Home Of Martial Arts. His impressive performances earned him the chance to show Tawanchai what ONE’s kickboxers are made of.
Kiria knows that he has to put on a show at ONE Fight Night 13, and he believes that the setting will bring out the best in him. “I said, ‘Okay, I just want to fight.’ And when I got the offer to fight Tawanchai with kickboxing rules, I thought, ‘Okay, it’s everything or nothing,’” he told ONE. “For every fighter, it’s a dream to fight on that level at Lumpinee Stadium. So, of course, I’m very happy about this opportunity and the first time to fight at Lumpinee. It’s an honor for me to share this feeling as part of ONE Championship, a very special moment.”
Lumpinee Boxing Stadium is widely regarded as the Mecca of Muay Thai, having hosted some of the biggest fights in the history of the sport. While it will be a dream come true for Kiria to compete on such a sacred stage, his debut battle there will be one with almost insurmountable odds on paper. Not only will he have to deal with his opponent having a home-field advantage, surrounded by adoring fans, but he will also be taking on one of the best talents of his generation.
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Tawanchai P.K. Saenchai is on a terror run
Tawanchai has won five of his six bouts in ONE, with four not needing a decision from the judges. Having proven his skills in Muay Thai, he now steps into kickboxing with goals of adding the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title to his collection.
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Kiria is unfazed, though, and he believes he can tune out all the noise and notch up a crucial win in ONE when he steps into the ring this Friday. “Yes, he is the local fighter, but it doesn’t change much. Because I used to fight a lot abroad, and I always fought the local fighters,” Kiria said.
ONE Fight Night 13 will be broadcast live and free on Prime Video for fans across North America with an Amazon subscription.