Tawanchai PK Saenchai is fully set to welcome a fight that has so far eluded him in ONE Championship.
The ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion will defend his crown in a highly anticipated showdown with former featherweight kickboxing king Superbon Singha Mawynn at ONE Lumpinee 46 at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok on Friday.
It'll be a case of third time lucky for the pair of Thai superstars, who have already seen their blockbuster match-up scupper on two separate occasions.
After having to pull out of last month's scheduled tussle, Tawanchai feels fit and ready to go this time.
"For the first withdrawal, I think he hurt his leg. The second, I got sick. I got infected with the influenza virus. I had to stay in the hospital for several days. I felt like I was having a hard time recovering. Therefore, I felt like I had to postpone this fight," he said.
"But now I'm all good. After recovering from the sickness, I came back and trained twice as hard."
While he has campaigned under kickboxing rules in his last two bouts in ONE, which saw him overcome elite opponents Davit Kiria and "Smokin" Jo Nattawut, respectively, Tawanchai's first six fights in the promotion were in Muay Thai.
Superbon, on the other hand, has fought exclusively in kickboxing across his three-and-a-half-year tenure in ONE.
One of the key differences between the two is the four-ounce gloves worn by Muay Thai competitors under the promotion's unique ruleset.
Tawanchai believes that the small gloves will be a learning curve for Superbon as he looks to wrest the featherweight Muay Thai strap away from him.
"It's no problem [that he hasn't competed in Muay Thai much recently]. He has a Muay Thai background, and he has good skills. I don't think he's at a huge disadvantage. He is one of the best strikers in the world," he said.
"The small gloves will definitely make a difference from the kickboxing fights he is used to. Because the impact force between small gloves and large gloves is very different.
"I've prepared a lot of things for him. Let's find out in the ring. I'm confident I will beat him as well. This belt belongs to me.
"I won't give it to anyone without a fight. I will do my best to keep it."