Teenage phenom Yodphupa Wimanair is back in action tomorrow.
The bantamweight Muay Thai sensation faces Belarusian debutant Antar Kacem in the international headliner at ONE Lumpinee 21 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.
Many of the top Muay Thai fighters to come from the sport's heartland get their start at a very young age, some as early as six years old.
Incredibly, Yodphupa was introduced to "the art of eight limbs" at age 12, when the youngster began attending a local boxing gym in his native Chaiyaphum. Soon after, he began fighting to earn money to support his parents.
As his career progressed on the local circuit, the fight purses on offer increased and Yodphupa began to realise that Muay Thai could, in fact, be a viable career path.
Eventually, he made his way to the Bangkok circuit where he gained victories over notable opposition such as Talaythong Sor Thanapet, Zlatan Jitmuangnon, and Paidang Kiatsongrit.
The talented fighter came to the attention of ONE Championship in 2022 and was invited to compete in the Road to ONE: Thailand tournament for a shot at a 3.5-million-baht contract with the global martial arts giant.
Yodphupa made a huge statement in the tournament, reeling off three knockouts and endearing himself to the fans with his all-action "muay mat" [punching] style of fighting. Still only 19 years old, Yodphupa has amassed an impressive professional record of 63-9-1, including three wins in what has been a scintillating start to 2023.
After defeating Russia's Ilyas Musaev via unanimous decision in his ONE debut in March, Yodphupa has reeled off highlight-reel knockouts over Samuel Toscano and Andrey Khromov -- all within the space of three months.
The young superstar is now set to face Kacem, who comes to ONE with an imposing 47-8-2 record and a reputation as a strong boxer with devastating kicks.
The Thailand-based Belarusian will enjoy a six-inch height advantage in the ring and will look to use his length to keep Yodphupa at bay to avoid his dangerous leg kicks.
ONE Lumpinee 21 is headlined by a flyweight Muay Thai battle between Paidang and highly decorated promotional newcomer Kongsuk Fairtex. The first bout starts at 7.30pm at Lumpinee and Channel 7 will show live the programme from 8.30pm.