Tawanchai relinquishes ONE Championship featherweight title
Tawanchai PK Saenchai has officially vacated the ONE Championship Featherweight Muay Thai world title after suffering a broken shin that will keep him out of competition for an extended period, paving the way for interim champion Nico Carrillo to become the undisputed title holder.
The announcement was made yesterday, July 21, after Tawanchai confirmed he was still recovering from the injury and would be unable to defend his belt for the foreseeable future.
The injury dates back to ONE Lumpinee 137 on December 19, 2025, when Tawanchai competed under kickboxing rules against China’s Meng Yang. He suffered a broken shin in the defeat and has been sidelined ever since, preventing him from defending his Muay Thai featherweight title.
The prolonged absence led to calls for him to relinquish the belt so the division could continue to move forward.
Under ONE Championship rules, Tawanchai’s decision means Scotland’s Nico Carrillo, who held the interim featherweight Muay Thai title, is automatically promoted to undisputed world champion.
Tawanchai says decision was his alone
Speaking after announcing his decision, Tawanchai said his recovery had reached around 70% to 80%. Medical specialists expect him to return to competition in early next year, with a comeback no later than the middle of the year.
Tawanchai said winning and defending the world title had been one of the greatest honours of his career. He said the belt represented years of hard work, sacrifice and pressure, adding that every fighter dreams of remaining champion for as long as possible.
After reflecting during his rehabilitation, he decided to vacate the title so the next contender, or the interim champion, could fulfil the same ambition.
Tawanchai stressed that nobody had pressured him into making the decision. Instead, he said he wanted the organisation to continue without waiting for his recovery. He also thanked everyone who had supported him throughout his career, congratulated Carrillo on becoming champion and said he believed they would eventually meet in the ring. For now, however, his priority is making a full recovery.
Fellow PK Saenchai Muay Thai Gym fighter Yod-IQ praised Tawanchai’s decision in a social media post, saying Thai fans would still regard him as a champion despite relinquishing the belt. He added that Tawanchai had successfully defended his title every time he competed and expressed hope that he would one day reclaim the championship.
Championship reign
Tawanchai joined ONE Championship in 2021 before capturing the featherweight Muay Thai world title in September 2022 with a victory over Petchmorakot after five rounds.
He went on to establish himself as one of the division’s leading fighters, defending the title successfully against Jamal Yusupov and defeating Superbon, the featherweight kickboxing world champion, twice. His reign lasted from September 2022 until he chose to vacate the title because of injury.
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