Larsen Ready To Debut Against Tough Tawanchai At ONE 158

Niclas Larsen will step into the ONE Championship Circle for the first time at ONE 158: Tawanchai vs. Larsen this Friday, 3 June, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The Danish star will face Thai striking dynamo Tawanchai PK.Saenchai in a featherweight Muay Thai battle in the evening’s main event. 

Making the walk to the Circle as a headliner would be an intimidating feat for most fighters, but “Dreamchaser” is eagerly awaiting the challenge. 

“Of course, I feel some sort of pressure. But I also feel that now I've been in the game for quite a while, and the pressure is just bringing out the best of me. I really feel that when I meet a strong, very good, experienced, talented guy, it also brings the best out of me,” Larsen said. 

“So the pressure is turning into excitement for me. I want to grow as a human. And this is what I need when these crazy dudes stand in front of me.” 

He may not have stepped onto ONE’s global stage before, but Larsen is no stranger to the bright lights. The former WBC Muay Thai World Champion has an impressive record of 61-12-2 with 30 knockouts, so he knows what it takes to tackle world-class opposition.  

Tawanchai will be a difficult test for the 32-year-old Albertslund native. He is 2-1 in the Circle and holds a jaw-dropping record of 126-31-2 overall. Both wins in ONE have come via knockout, and he has recently entered the featherweight Muay Thai division in the number five spot. 

Larsen recognizes that his Thai opponent is as tough as they come, but he is confident that his unconventional fighting style will pose a challenge to him when they meet. 

“Even though I really admire Tawanchai and the way he fights, I also believe that I have the ingredients to make it difficult for him. In Thailand, they start slow in the fight. And it's not that often you see that in the professional game, like in ONE. It's only three rounds, and you fight from the start. The fight is over before the clock is set,” Larsen said. 

“So I believe that could be something that could make it harder for him to really show [his skills]. You fight from the start and don't feel your opponent out in the first round like they do [in Thailand].”  

Overall, the debuting Dane is just excited to start his ONE journey, and he is hungry to further develop his arsenal against one of the best strikers in the world. 

“I have good skills overall. My strengths are that I have this white belt mentality. So I'm always in search of developing. I believe I can change between styles, and I can make surprises happen at any time,” Larsen said. 

Watch ONE 158: Tawanchai vs. Larsen live on Disney+ Hotstar or Star Sports Select 2., beginning with the lead card at 3 p.m. India Standard Time (IST) on Friday, 3 June. The main card broadcasts live on Disney+ Hotstar and Star Sports Select 2 at 6 p.m. IST. 

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