Tomyamkoong’s Turnaround Heads Into A New Weight Class Against Yassir Rassafi
Not long ago, Tomyamkoong Bhumjaithai was skating on thin ice. Back-to-back knockout losses to Suriyanlek Por Yenying and Rittidet Sor Sommai had left the young Thai’s ONE career in doubt.
Four straight wins later, the 22-year-old has real momentum heading into a bantamweight Muay Thai bout with Moroccan striker Yassir “Salvador” Rassafi at The Inner Circle 36 on Friday, October 30. The card streams live in Asia primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium, exclusively for members at live.onefc.com.
The PK Saenchai Muaythaigym product opened the run with finishes of Watcharaphon Singha Mawynn and Bejenuta “Gladiator” Maximus. His fourth win, however, demanded something different.
Hard-hitting Anar “Atilla” Mammadov hurt him badly in the opening round at The Inner Circle 18 in June. Rather than fold, Tomyamkoong rallied for a come-from-behind unanimous decision.
“I just got caught completely off guard. He landed a body shot before I could even brace my core, so it winded me immediately,” Tomyamkoong said.
“In rounds two and three, I just marched forward and put the pressure on. I had to get payback. I saw in the second round that he couldn’t handle the clinch, so I walked him down and took the fight inside.”
Despite 187 bouts on his record, he still considers himself a student of the sport. That humility has carried him back from the brink and now carries him up to bantamweight for the first time in ONE, a division closer to his natural frame.
Rassafi stands 12 centimeters taller and came agonizingly close in his promotional debut, dropping a majority decision to Mongkoldetlek Por Pim-on at The Inner Circle 29 after a late knockdown. Tomyamkoong is taking nothing for granted.
He is, however, enjoying the chance to live up to his name, a nod to Thailand’s famously fiery soup.
“This is my third time facing a [foreign] fighter, and I’ve won every single time. If I win again, it just goes to show that tom yum goong is way too spicy for [foreigners] to handle easily!” he said.
“I’ve already won two bonuses, so for this fight, my goal is to get another stoppage. Even though he’s a bigger Western fighter, if I can finish him, it’ll be a proper giant-slaying moment.”
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