What Makes Liu Mengyang Dangerous Against Tawanchai at ONE Friday Fights 137
Liu Mengyang’s promotional journey reads like a blueprint for stardom compressed into three fights. The 22-year-old Chinese sensation has toppled former world champions, battled seasoned veterans to razor-thin decisions, and displayed composure that belies his age since arriving in ONE Championship.
Each performance revealed another layer of his striking arsenal while cementing his reputation as one of China’s most exciting talents stepping into Lumpinee Stadium’s unforgiving spotlight.
That meteoric rise brings him to the defining moment of his young career. On Friday, December 19, at ONE Friday Fights 137 inside Bangkok’s legendary venue, Liu faces ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai in a three-round featherweight kickboxing clash that could reshape the division’s landscape. The Thai champion represents everything Liu must overcome to prove he belongs among the sport’s elite, yet the Chinese striker enters with tools that transform this from coronation to genuine threat.
Liu’s counter-punching has become his signature weapon throughout ONE Championship. Rooted in patience and precision, he stands directly in the pocket and strikes the exact moment opponents commit to their attacks. His promotional debut against former ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Masaaki Noiri showcased that skill immediately — a looping right hand within the first minute scored a knockdown that announced his arrival. The shot revealed his firm understanding of distance and timing while proving he doesn’t need extended feeling-out processes to find success.
That same precision surfaced against Shadow Singha Mawynn, the division’s third-ranked Muay Thai contender. After studying the Thai’s forward pressure for one round, Liu intercepted him with a perfectly timed right-left counter combination that collapsed Shadow to the canvas and swung momentum instantly in the Chinese fighter’s favor. Even his narrow split decision loss to Mohammad Siasarani featured crisp counters that kept the fight competitive despite the Iranian’s volume and stance switches.
Liu’s defensive foundation relies on resilience rather than elaborate footwork or evasive angles. He stands firm, absorbs shots with balance, and remains composed enough to fire back with purpose while opponents unload their arsenals. Noiri tested that durability by targeting his body with heavy combinations — punishment that folds many fighters — yet Liu stayed upright, continued trading at close range, and even closed the match with late momentum that impressed judges.
Siasarani presented different challenges from southpaw stance, landing several clean left hands during the second round. Liu absorbed those strikes without retreating, maintained steady posture, and kept returning fire to force a tight decision. Against Shadow, he weathered knees and kicks throughout the encounter before turning the tables with his well-timed knockdown, proving his ability to remain composed while under sustained attack.
Liu’s conditioning allows him to maintain pace and focus even as exchanges intensify into chaos. His victory over Noiri required constant engagement at close range and high work rates while recovering from punishing body attacks, yet his output held steady through all three rounds against championship-caliber opposition. The Siasarani battle forced him into long stretches of countering from the back foot — a style demanding endurance and concentration — yet Liu remained sharp into the final minutes.
His clash with Shadow was perhaps the most chaotic encounter, featuring heavy punches, knockdowns, and nonstop action. Despite the frantic pace, Liu entered round three with renewed purpose and matched Shadow strike for strike until the final bell. That ability to remain dangerous from start to finish becomes crucial when facing Tawanchai, a fighter known for precision and power whose championship experience demands opponents maintain their threat level for fifteen minutes without fading.
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