Yod-IQ Or Pimolsri is officially the new ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai world champion, and the Thai slugger has zero plans of letting the crown slip anytime soon.
He captured the divisional gold with a hard-fought unanimous decision triumph over compatriot Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon in the headline attraction of The Inner Circle 30 inside Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, September 11.
The victory extended Yod-IQ’s career record to a staggering 128-36 and stretched his winning streak to 11 in a row in the promotion.
The path to gold was anything but smooth, though. Rambolek pressed the pace throughout the opening three frames, unloading heavy artillery and forcing Yod-IQ to work for every inch of the contest.
But once the championship rounds arrived, the PK Saenchai Muaythaigym product’s world-class conditioning tilted the entire dynamic in his direction – eventually convincing all three judges at ringside. He reflected:
“[After three rounds], I still felt it was 50/50. As the challenger facing an established champion, you don’t take anything for granted. Champions hold their ground, so I knew I couldn’t relax.”
“But I think the last two rounds proved that I can take a shot without getting dropped. Once I survived the middle rounds on my feet, I knew I had done enough to secure the win. I felt I took almost every round. Whenever a round felt close, I made sure to push the pace hard at the end to seal it.”
Now the tricky part begins for the newly crowned king. The ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title has changed hands at quite a frequence over the past two-and-a-half years, with Yod-IQ becoming the fourth man to hold the crown since Jonathan Haggerty.
That pattern has fuelled plenty of whispers about the belt being cursed, but the new king has heard enough of it. The 24-year-old PK Saenchai Muaythaigym athlete added:
“I don’t believe in curses – I believe in myself. I’m going to hold onto this belt longer than anyone else.”
Yod-IQ leaves next challenger entirely in the hands of the promotion
Yod-IQ is not chasing any specific name for his first world title defense. The Thai fighter is happy to let ONE Championship decide who steps up next.
The PK Saenchai standout knows there is no shortage of contenders queuing up for their crack at the divisional throne, and he has zero interest in dodging any of them. He concluded:
“Whoever Chatri [Sityodtong] sets up for me, I’m ready. I don’t think an immediate rematch is on the table just yet, so I’ll likely face someone else first. I’m sure there’s a long line of contenders waiting for me. [They can] line up and take their turn. We’ll definitely meet in the ring when the time comes.”
