YOKKAO 45-46: A New Beginning

January 30, 2020

Another page is written on the history of our promotion with the successful conclusion of YOKKAO 45-46. The PalaRuffini Arena received thousands of fans from Italy and the region who showed up on 25 January in Turin, Italy for a full day of Muay Thai action. 30 exciting bouts were put on display that concluded on a grand note with the crowning of the inaugural YOKKAO Diamond champion.

The YOKKAO Kids kickstarted the day with a full day of junior fights, followed by the Next Generation undercard, setting the tone for what was to come and firing up the crowd. YOKKAO 45-46 was finally put in motion with the debut of a new YOKKAO ring canvas at the PalaRuffini where the event was broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube around the world.

YOKKAO 45

Fighters from Italy, France, Egypt, Mexico and Thailand took centre stage on the YOKKAO 45 card. In the second bout on the main card, heavyweight hitter, Michele Mastromatteo delivered an overwhelming performance with a stoppage victory over opponent, Rovelli Paolo. Italian female fan-favorite, Jleana Valentino sizzled in her promotional debut with a strong TKO win against visiting French fighter, Juliette Lacroix Brizon.

In the Spotlight:
Yodchai vs Alessandro Sara

It was a highly-anticipated rematch between Yodchai and Alessandro Sara after the pair’s first meeting in Lumpinee last August. With Sara taking the last win via points, Yodchai went in with a vengeance to even the score. The pressure mounted right off the bell as both fighters engaged in a technical showdown. Yodchai upped the pace and intensity as the bout progressed, outscoring Sara with well-connected hard punches and body kicks over the latter’s teeps and knees. It was an unsurprising result when Yodchai picked up the judges’ favor for a victory with the score now at one a piece between the two rivals.

Fight of the Night:
Singdam Yokkaosaenchaigym vs Christian Zahe

Multi-time legend, Singdam took on a tough and hungry Christian Zahe in the co-main event. Despite the pressure from Singdam, Zahe stood his own in the first two rounds until a flying head kick sent him out cold right on the bell of the end of round two. The Italian looked to be knocked out cold but managed to get back on his feet. It was a miracle to recover from the head kick but Zahe came back and went the distance against the Thai legend. Despite a commendable effort from the Italian, Singdam dominated every round after to clinch the win via a unanimous decision.

YOKKAO 46

After a brief intermission that featured an exciting junior bout, main card action returned on YOKKAO 46 in the lead-up to the main event. In one of the night’s most thrilling faceoffs, Faipha gave a brutal performance that pitted him against the tough Cristian Faustino. The Thai fighter was enroute to victory until a dislocated shoulder ended his dominance in a stoppage.

In the Spotlight:
Manachai vs Amoroso Pasquale

With two back-to-back KO victories, Manachai looked to extend his streak. Amoroso Pasquale was not going to be a walkover, taking advantage of his reach with excellent ring control. Manachai was a man on a mission, throwing unrelenting kicks and some tricky sweeps. The two matched each other’s intensity going into the third round until Pasquale landed on the canvas via a hard sweep from the dominant Manachai resulting in a dislocated elbow. The fight was stopped by Pasquale’s corner and Manachai was awarded the win by way of TKO.

Main Event & Fight of the Night:
Saenchai vs Shan Cangelosi

Created as a recognition of the highest honor for true champions of Muay Thai, the first-ever YOKKAO Diamond title was sanctioned for the main event welterweight bout between Saenchai and Shan Cangelosi. Backed by the YOKKAO Fight Team, Saenchai made a grand entrance on his walkout as the event reached its climax. The living legend faced one of his most formidable opponents in recent years against the unorthodox style of Cangelosi. Despite some harrowing moments, Saenchai dominated and outscored with his arsenal of diverse moves to take home the convincing victory. The win further cements his legacy after becoming the first ever YOKKAO Diamond Champion.

Following last year’s acclaimed success, YOKKAO 45-46 delivered on its promise of yet another Muay Thai extravaganza. Our first event of the year also marks a new beginning for the promotion with the new ring canvas, the introduction of the prestigious YOKKAO Diamond belt as well a revamped global fighters ranking system to be explained in detail in a follow-up article.

Our next event sees us return to the University of Bolton Stadium in the UK on 7 March with YOKKAO 43-44. In the meantime, check out the full results from YOKKAO 45-46 below:

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@saenchaithailand becomes the first ever YOKKAO Welterweight Diamond Champion 💎 #YOKKAO46

A post shared by YOKKAO (@yokkao) on Jan 26, 2020 at 6:29am PST