Sangarthit aims for victory over TAKU at ONE Friday Fights 144: “I have a lot of confidence in my power”

Growing up in the same lane as Rodtang Jitmuangnon would test any young fighter’s sense of self. Sangarthit Looksaikongdin is Rodtang’s brother-in-law, trained in the same gym and shaped by the same standards.

The comparison is inevitable. But at 22, with an undefeated 19-0 professional boxing record already behind him before he ever threw a kick in ONE Championship, Sangarthit is building something of his own.

On Friday evening, February 27, he will have another chance to add something when he meets Japanese bantamweight kickboxer TAKU at A Friday Fights 144 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

His path to this moment was not smooth. A loss to Suablack Tor Pran49 at ONE Friday Fights 114 forced a reset, and the subsequent victory against Ali Koyuncu at ONE Friday Fights 126 – while important – left him dissatisfied. He knows when a performance is not good enough. This time he uses both lessons.

“Although I got the win last time, it was a real toss-up. My biggest mistake was definitely cutting weight, and in the ring I let my emotions get the best of me,” Sangarthit said. “After I lost to Suablack, I realized I had to change, so for the third fight I tried to relax a bit. For this fight I found a balance: not too stressed, but not too relaxed either. I’m in the middle of it.”

Sangarthit relies on boxing IQ to neutralize TAKU’s aggression

TAKU is the type of opponent that makes fights ugly. He presses forward, forcing exchanges and daring his opponent to get up and trade. For some fighters that is a problem. For Sangarthit it is an invitation.

His boxing foundation – 19 professional victories in four years before kickboxing became his focus – gave him the instincts of a counter-puncher and the ability to read incoming shots in real time. That lead is important against a forward-moving striker.

The camp is deliberately set up. Rodtang and Sangarthit’s older brothers trained him hard in defense, which underlines that a clean attack is only possible behind a solid guard. The family keeps him honest. The gym keeps him sharp.

“My advantage will be reading his punch patterns. With my professional boxing experience, I can find the holes in his punch,” Sangarthit said. “I’ve been studying him, and he’s the type that just walks up and deals. It’s going to be a fun fight because I like it when someone comes at me – we can just go in and throw away. This time I’ll be more calculated. I’m not just going to blindly throw punches because he’s not a hustler. That said, I have a lot of confidence in my power.”