A perfectly timed spinning backfist changed everything for Shadow Singha Mawynn at ONE Fight Night 35, as the Thai striker demolished #2-ranked featherweight Muay Thai contender Bampara Kouyate in spectacular fashion.The dramatic finish came at 1:20 of the second round, with #3-ranked Shadow's technique proving too much for the higher-ranked French-Malian fighter to handle.The emotional significance of having his biggest supporter witness his career-defining moment wasn't lost on the 25-year-old fighter.
"I'm very happy to get the win and the (US$50,000) bonus today, and I'm also very happy that my mom has come to support me every fight. And I am determined to get every win to put a smile on my mom's face every time," Shadow revealed.
The knockout represented Shadow's sixth consecutive victory and arguably his most impressive performance to date against the #2-ranked featherweight Muay Thai contender.Despite crushing an opponent ranked higher than his #3 position, Shadow maintained his characteristic humility when discussing Kouyate's abilities."I think Kouyate is a very skilled fighter. He has made a lot of improvements in himself, just coming up to the ranking. I have a lot of respect for him," he acknowledged.
The Thai striker showed complete confidence in his finishing ability during the crucial moment."I saw him go down, and I didn't think he was going to get up. But also, if he managed to get up, I was also ready to give him another set of weapons to knock him out," he explained.His devastating performance against elite competition suggests that championship opportunity may come sooner than expected.The knockout artist set his sights firmly on reigning ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai.
"If one day, as if this is inevitable, and I have to face [Tawanchai] him, then I will be ready. And I will always want to fight someone who's the best of the best, so I think we have to face each other," he said.
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