Yod-IQ PK Saenchai will be hunting for his third straight victory under the ONE banner tomorrow.
The 21-year-old Muay Thai phenom faces heavy-handed Russian debutant Alexey Balyko in the main event of ONE Lumpinee 33, the Sept 15 edition of ONE's weekly series at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.
Like many Muay Thai stars, Yod-IQ grew up in a farming family but is now studying for a bachelor's degree at Siam University of Technology -- an education typically not available to those in rural settings.
While Muay Thai has opened doors for the young star to further his education, he seems to be at home in ONE Championship.
The young bantamweight made a huge impression in his March debut. He dropped Belgium's Samuel Bielen twice with elbows to score a second-round TKO at ONE Lumpinee 10. The stunning performance netted him a 350,000-baht performance bonus courtesy of ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
He backed up his impressive start with a dominant unanimous decision win over tough Uzbek Mavlud Tupiev at ONE Lumpinee 20 in June. The victory brought his overall career mark to an imposing 117-35-15.
With two wins in the bank since making his promotional bow, another memorable performance at ONE Lumpinee 33 could see Yod-IQ edge ever-closer to the life changing 3.5-million-baht contract that is on offer at ONE Lumpinee.
It would be a significant milestone as he looks to emulate the success of ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai, his stablemate at PK Saenchai Muay Thai Gym.