After nearly a year of waiting, ONE Championship star Saemapetch Fairtex will finally get his shot at redemption against striking sensation Rittewada Petchyindee in ONE 160: Ok v Lee II at the Singapore Indoor Stadium today.
The top-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender first met his fellow Thai in November, when he succumbed to a TKO loss after being hit by a devastating elbow in the second round.
Prior to that fateful strike, Saemapetch was doing well in the match and, at one point, sent Rittewada reeling with a heavy right hand in a display of his own dangerous power.
Now, as he readies himself to run it back, the 27-year-old is confident he'll be able to avoid the same weapon that brought an end to their first encounter, all while exposing his rival's flaws at the same time.
"In this upcoming fight, I will fight him more carefully. I will be especially aware of his elbows. If I have a cut, I risk losing," Saemapetch said.
"I see quite a lot of weaknesses he has. His strikes are slow, definitely slower than mine. Also, his long limbs make him a bit awkward in defence. I am sure that I am faster than him. I will have an advantage if I attack him first."
The rematch is long-awaited among fans of the striking arts, as the two Thai stars produced a textbook Muay Thai battle before Rittewada's elbow ended proceedings the first time around.
Both athletes used the opening round to feel each other out before gradually increasing the intensity as the frame progressed. This left many wondering what could have happened had the fight continued.
A full performance from Saemapetch wasn't to be on that occasion, but he is relatively certain about how the second meeting will go down.
"Now, I'm 90 percent confident that I will win this rematch. I already know his style and everything, and I am sure that I can handle it. But there is still 10 percent that I don't know -- what he trains for and his game plan -- and I'll need to adjust my game plan accordingly in the circle," he said.
"Whether by decision or KO, I'll do anything to win this rematch. I'll do whatever it takes to keep myself on the No.1 contender's throne. If I see any opportunity, I'll knock him out for sure."
Today's ONE 160: Ok v Lee II will be broadcast live on AIS Play at 6.30pm and on Thairath TV from 9.30pm.