“I didn’t overlook him” – Saemapetch says focus was key in Mohamed Younes Rabah rematch at ONE Fight Night 19

Current fourth-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Saemapetch Fairtex proved that his previous defeat against Mohamed Younes Rabah was simply a bad night at the office after avenging it in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 19 this past weekend inside Bangkok's legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Saemapetch made quick work of Rabah by dropping the 26-year-old Algerian thrice on his way to an opening round TKO stoppage in just 93 seconds.

In his post-fight interview with Sportskeeda MMA, he shared one of the keys to his victory by saying:

“If he did overlook me in the fight, it’s okay. Because I didn’t overlook him. In my mind, I knew I had to overcome him if I wanted to achieve my goals.”

See the full interview below:

Unlike their first meeting two months ago in December 2023 at ONE Fight Night 17, where he didn’t know what to expect from Rabah, Saemapetch came up with a few adjustments to take down ‘The Eagle'.

The Fairtex Training Center representative came out aggressively out of his corner when the bell rang and immediately closed the distance. By doing this, he was able to land his powerful punches, which eventually stopped Rabah.

This latest victory has improved his ONE Championship record to nine wins, thus maintaining his place in the upper echelon of the division.

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Saemapetch Fairtex takes home an additional $50,000 for his performance at ONE Fight Night 19

Saemapetch only needed less than two minutes to even his head-to-head score with Rabah and produce three knockdowns during their bantamweight Muay Thai fight.

Because of this incredible performance, he was able to secure an additional US$50,000 bonus from ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

Joining Saemapetch among the best performers on the card who also received the $50,000 bonus were Thongpoon PK Saenchai, Martyna Kierczynska, and Jonathan Haggerty.

North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription can rewatch all the action from ONE Fight Night 19 via the free event replay.