Thai superstar Saemapetch Fairtex is out for revenge in his bantamweight Muay Thai rematch against undefeated Algerian phenom Mohamed “The Eagle” Younes Rabah.
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The pair is set to do battle live in U.S. Primetime on February 16 at ONE Fight Night 19: Haggerty vs. Lobo on Prime Video.
That heated matchup will go down at the same venue and location as their first encounter last December – the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Saemapetch Fairtex will look to avenge his loss this time around
A veteran of nearly 150 professional fights and consistently ranked in the bantamweight Muay Thai top five, Saemapetch came into that contest against the late-notice Rabah as a considerable favorite.
What unfolded was a wild two-and-a-half minutes of action.
Each man came out aggressive, throwing big shots with ruthless intentions and trading early knockdowns.
After “The Eagle’s” second knockdown, though, he looked to land an illegal knee as the Thai was crumbled on the canvas. And while Saemapetch attempted to continue, the damage was done and the fight was called off with Rabah awarded the victory.
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Now ranked #4 in the talent-laden bantamweight Muay Thai division, Saemapetch is extra motivated to avenge that controversial defeat.
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He said:“This rematch is very important to me. I want to prove to the fans that I’m still the same Saemapetch.”
Saemapetch sends out a strong message
Even without the illegal knee strike, the Fairtex Gym representative knows he struggled against the powerful and ultra-aggressive Rabah.
He says he’s taking his foe more seriously this time and has devised the perfect gameplan for revenge:
“Because I already know Rabah from the previous fight, I know how I will handle him. I’ve prepared many tricks to surprise him in the ring.
“I will use a wider variety of weapons. I will be more efficient. I will definitely not be rash or careless this time.”
With the controversial ending of their last bout still fresh in his mind, Saemapetch might be in the most dangerous form of his career.
He sent a message to “The Eagle”: “Mohamed, I’m gonna pay you back on February 16. I won’t make the same mistake twice.”
Written by
Edited by
Joyita Das