Niclas Larsen faces a difficult challenge in his One Championship debut at One 158: Tawanchai v Larsen at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday.
The Danish striking star will step into the circle against Thai sensation Tawanchai PK Saenchai, who will pose a significant threat to him in their featherweight Muay Thai main-event battle.
Nonetheless, Larsen is excited about his maiden appearance and believes he holds certain advantages that could cause problems for the fifth-ranked featherweight Muay Thai contender.
"I have good skills overall. One of my strengths is the white belt mentality. I always want to develop," Larsen said.
"In many of my fights, I was the longer fighter. I could go the full distance.
"Now, I am that fighter who also like to fight in [range]. And that's going to be difficult for him, because I'm a little bit taller than him.
"I believe I can change between styles, and I can make surprises happen at any time."
The former Glory kickboxing athlete, who holds a record of 61-12-2 with 30 KOs, has held the WBC Muay Thai world championship. Therefore, he is no stranger to big banner bouts.
And after waiting years to compete in the Singapore-based promotion, Larsen is eager to demonstrate his skills.
"I couldn't see a better place than to be in One Championship. I got an opportunity against a guy like Tawanchai, who already did very well in One," he said.
Tawanchai has earned two KOs in the One circle so far, and he holds an incredible record of 126-31-2.
The Thai star finished off Sean Clancy with a blistering head kick in his debut in 2021, which helped put his name on the map.
He then cemented his position as one of the most dangerous strikers on the One roster by finishing his compatriot, Saemapetch Fairtex, earlier this year.
Meanwhile, the "Dreamchaser" is well-aware of what it will take to defeat Tawanchai, but he is confident that he will be able to showcase his skills to the global fan base.