‘I Just Want My Belt Back’ – Prajanchai Motivated To Exact Revenge On Joseph Lasiri
After more than 18 months of waiting, ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Prajanchai PK Saenchai will finally get his shot at revenge against divisional king Joseph “The Hurricane” Lasiri.
On December 22 in Asia primetime, the rivals will square off in a highly anticipated ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title unification bout at ONE Friday Fights 46: Tawanchai vs. Superbon.
Set to go down at the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, that contest will be Prajanchai’s opportunity to avenge a stunning May 2022 World Title loss to the Italian-Moroccan striker.
After losing his gold, the Thai star scored an impressive win over Kompet Fairtex at ONE Friday Fights 1 in January. Following that result, ONE announced plans for a World Title rematch, prompting Prajanchai to start preparing.
He told onefc.com:
“Going back to the fight when I beat Kompet in ONE Friday Fights … after I won, it was announced that I would have a shot for gold against Joseph Lasiri. After hearing the news, I only rested for seven days and jumped back into training camp.”
Despite his excitement, the rematch was put on hold while Lasiri recovered from injury. Instead, Prajanchai faced and defeated former titleholder Sam-A Gaiyanghadao to claim the interim gold at ONE Friday Fights 22.
The 29-year-old has also picked up a kickboxing victory since then, but he hasn’t once stopped thinking about revenge against Lasiri.
He said:
“I’ve prepared an “All You Can Eat” full course, which includes punches, kicks, knees, and elbows for him to eat.”
More than just avenging one of the most devastating losses of his career, the PK Saenchai representative is inspired to win for his country.
As a proud Thai, he understands what it means for the undisputed ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title to live in the birthplace of Muay Thai.
Prajanchai explained:
“[Lasiri] is the person I want to redeem myself against the most in my life. Because first, you take my belt from me. I want to bring this belt back to Thailand for the Thai people.
“Nothing personal. I just want my belt back. I want to be at the top of the division and become a legend.”
Prajanchai Details His Personal Beef With Lasiri
While Prajanchai PK Saenchai says there’s nothing personal between him and Joseph Lasiri, that might not be entirely true.
In fact, the interim titleholder admits “The Hurricane” rubbed him and other fighters the wrong way when he paid a visit to their gym in Thailand. That tension led to a heated exchange during sparring, and the two competitors haven’t spoken since.
Prajanchai recalled:
“Joseph liked to play around with other people at the gym. I’m not personally close to him, but he is not well-liked by people in the gym. To be honest, I didn’t like the way he teased other people in the gym.
“So, I kicked him really hard when we were sparring. After that kick, I met him again at an event in Muang Thong Thani, but he avoided me. I admit I was really annoyed at him.”
Indeed, the Thai seems exceptionally fired up for his rematch with Lasiri at ONE Friday Fights 46.
Whether it’s due to their personal beef, the fact that it’s a massive World Title unification fight, or the pressure to represent Thailand well, Prajanchai is carrying plenty of extra inspiration to succeed.
With that in mind, he left a message for his rival:
“Joseph, I hope you take good care of yourself until Friday, December 22. I wish you no sickness or injury, so I can beat you to a pulp without feeling guilty.”
