Joseph Lasiri and Prajanchai Set to Unify the ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Championship at ONE Friday Fights 46

As we move closer to the end of the year, ONE Championship’s final event of 2023 seems to get more stacked with each passing day. In its latest announcement, ONE dropped the news that at ONE Friday Fights 46: Tawanchai vs. Superbon big things will go down for ONE fans.

On Friday, December 22, the ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Championship will be unified when reigning king Joseph Lasiri takes on interim titleholder Prajanchai PK Saenchai. The match, which goes down, along with the rest of the card inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, will be a rematch of the striking superstars’ showdown at ONE 157 in May 2022. 

What’s the deal with Joseph Lasiri?

That evening, Lasiri challenged Prajanchai’s throne and put on a show that shocked the world, eventually forcing the Thai to quit on his stool after the third round. The Italian-Moroccan star carried the momentum of that incredible win into a quest for two-division supremacy, and he challenged Rodtang Jitmuangnon for the flyweight Muay Thai strap in his next fight the following November. 

Despite going all five rounds with “The Iron Man,” Lasiri fell to a unanimous decision loss. Things then went from bad to worse when an injury forced him onto the sideline, where he has been ever since. Prajanchai, on the other hand, has redeemed himself well since his World Title loss.

He defeated compatriot Kompet Fairtex at ONE Friday Fights 1 this past January. And when Lasiri was deemed unable to defend his crown, he was chosen to compete for the interim strap against Sam-A Gaiyanghadao – the man he took the World Title from to begin his reign.

Their first meeting, at ONE: BATTLEGROUND in July 2021, went the distance, and Prajanchai wanted a more decisive win when they squared off at ONE Friday Fights 22 in June this year. He got just that by finishing Sam-A in the second round, and he booked his ticket to a rematch with Lasiri as a result.

Prajanchai has his eyes peeled for victory too

The PK Saenchai Muaythaigym standout was determined to stay active in the meantime, however, so he figured in a kickboxing bout at ONE Friday Fights 34 in September and defeated Akram Hamidi via unanimous decision. Now rolling on a three-bout winning streak, Prajanchai hopes to reclaim the undisputed throne in the division by exacting revenge on Lasiri. But “The Hurricane” will be looking to cement his reign in his return, so their battle should be a storm.

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Other bouts set for the ONE Friday Fights 46 card so far include Tawanchai and Superbon’s highly anticipated showdown for the featherweight Muay Thai strap and Anissa Meksen vs. Phetjeeja for the ONE Interim Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing World Championship. Watch out for more fight announcements in the coming weeks, as the event is expected to end the year for ONE with a bang. 

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