An initial loss alters everything. Jaosuayai Mor Krungthepthonburi observed his five-bout winning streak dissipate in October, necessitating profound introspection about his trajectory.
The 24-year-old Thai striking expert is now moving to strawweight Muay Thai for ONE Friday Fights 137 on December 19, where he will face former two-sport, two-division ONE World Champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. This change signifies a calculated strategic maneuver rather than a retreat from the arena.
Jaosuayai’s inaugural promotional defeat in over a year occurred against Azerbaijani prodigy Akif Guluzada at ONE Fight Night 36. The 20-year-old achieved a critical first-round knockdown with a forceful knee strike to the face, which fundamentally shifted the momentum of the encounter.
The Thai combatant maintained pressure throughout the concluding two rounds and even caused his opponent to waver. Yet, the initial impact proved insurmountable, leading to Guluzada securing a unanimous decision victory and reducing Jaosuayai’s organizational record to 8-3.
“From my perspective, I believe the strategy and fighting style for the last match with Akif were completely disorganized,” he remarked. “In the instant I was dropped, I lost my bearings. It was as if my vision momentarily ceased, and I instantly blacked out. However, the sheer volume of fans cheering for me provided the resolve to continue fighting.”
Jaosuayai clarifies tactical shift to 125-pound division
The setback mandated self-examination. Jaosuayai Mor Krungthepthonburi consulted his team concerning a descent from flyweight, discovering that his inherent physiological fluctuations made the transition logical.
“Following the previous contest, my mass only increased by four or five pounds,” Jaosuayai conveyed. “Therefore, I chose to confer with my trainer regarding a descent to attempt the 125-pound category, a weight class where I have not engaged in competition for approximately four to five years.”
Detractors challenged the opportune moment. Nevertheless, the Sor Dechapan fighter maintains that enhanced preparation methodologies prompted this choice, rather than an apprehension of flyweight contests.
“This determination does not represent an evasion of the 135-pound division, as some detractors have suggested,” he affirmed. “I currently experience heightened vitality, greater evasiveness, and increased velocity, factors that ought to result in more equitably matched and thrilling adversaries compared to those at 135 pounds.”
