Pongsiri’s Late Head Kick Tilts the Fabio Reis Battle
Pongsiri PK Saenchai defeated Fabio Reis by majority decision in the ONE Friday Fights 24 main event on July 7, 2023. Their bantamweight Muay Thai contest at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok turned on a crucial third-round knockdown.
The exchanges remain competitive
Pongsiri began cautiously against an opponent who had already built momentum through knockout victories in the promotion. As the contest developed, both men exchanged kicks and punches, leaving the result open to a decisive late moment.
That moment arrived when Reis leaned left to prepare a hook. Pongsiri launched a right high kick that caught him and sent him down. Reis recovered enough to answer the count, but the knockdown significantly changed the final round’s scoring picture.
The third-round knockdown influences the verdict
Two judges favored Pongsiri after the full distance, while the third returned a draw. The majority decision extended his record in the weekly series to three wins without defeat and interrupted Reis’s successful run against Thai opposition.
The result demonstrated the difference a single clean attack can make in a three-round Muay Thai contest. Reis reached the final bell and remained competitive, but Pongsiri’s late timing supplied the action that separated them on two cards. The home fighter left with the victory after surviving the earlier exchanges and finding the head kick that gave the main event its defining image.
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Article Tags
Pongsiri, Fabio Reis, ONE Championship, Muay Thai, Kickboxing
