Muay Thai and kickboxing legend Sitthichai suffered a brutal knockout loss to 20-year-old Taimu Hisai at Knockout 68: Knockin' on the World in Yokohama, Japan on Saturday. Hisai, stepping in on short notice and moving up a weight class, ended the fight with a vicious uppercut that lifted Sitthichai off his feet. The defeat extends a difficult recent run for the 34-year-old former Glory Kickboxing lightweight champion, who has gone winless since departing ONE Championship.
A stunning upset unfolded at Knockout 68: Knockin' on the World in Yokohama, Japan on Saturday, as Taimu Hisai stopped Muay Thai and kickboxing legend Sitthichai with a devastating uppercut knockout.
Hisai, just 20 years old, accepted the fight on short notice and came in stepping up a weight class to face one of the most decorated strikers in the sport. The finish was emphatic — a single uppercut that lifted Sitthichai clean off his feet and ended the contest in dramatic fashion.
For Sitthichai, the loss deepens what has become a troubled stretch in the latter stage of his career. The 34-year-old Thai fighter is a former Glory Kickboxing lightweight champion and spent years regarded as one of the finest technical kickboxers on the planet. Since parting ways with ONE Championship, however, he has been unable to find a win, and Saturday's knockout represents one of the most emphatic defeats of his career.
Why it matters
- The loss continues a winless run for Sitthichai since leaving ONE Championship, raising questions about where the former Glory champion goes from here.
- Hisai's performance on short notice, moving up in weight, announces him as a serious prospect in the kickboxing world at just 20 years old.
- The manner of the finish — a knockout so clean it lifted Sitthichai off his feet — will circulate widely and elevate Knockout as a promotion capable of delivering marquee moments.
