ONE Championship

Toughness has carried one Thai veteran through 10 appearances on the weekly series. A Brazilian finisher believes toughness alone will not save him this time.

Dionatha Santos Tobias meets Tonglampoon FA Group in a strawweight Muay Thai bout at ONE Friday Fights 173 on Friday, October 2. The contest airs live in Asia primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The 26-year-old Sangmorakot representative has won twice in ONE, and neither fight reached the final bell. He stopped Mahahin Petkiatpet with a body shot before finishing Kongpoxay PK Saenchai in the first round.

Tonglampoon, 22, holds a 48-15 professional record and makes his 11th appearance on the series. The Brazilian respects his durability, his leg kicks, and his punches, but he expects his own speed and precision to decide the contest.

Rather than commit to a single plan, he wants several answers ready for whatever Tonglampoon shows under small-gloves Muay Thai rules.

“I could say a lot of things, but to be honest, to beat someone, especially in a small-gloves fight, depends on how you feel in the moment,” Santos Tobias said.

“I am a guy who has something prepared, but if that one doesn’t work, I have another thing, and then another thing. It depends on how I play chess. I’m going to take advantage of how much faster I am than him, quicker than him, and how my hands are more precise than his.”

Dionatha Santos Tobias hunts a third ONE knockout

Asked about weaknesses, the Brazilian pointed straight to Tonglampoon’s chin, the area he believes cost the Thai in his recent outings. He also suspects his opponent is preparing for another heavy dose of body punches.

That expectation could open the door upstairs as he chases a third straight finish in the promotion. Still, a win of any kind would satisfy him.

“In his last couple of fights, the chin was the problem, so maybe. And I’m sure that he thinks I’m going to punch only the body instead,” Santos Tobias said.

“The plan is to knock him out, but if this doesn’t work, I’m happy if I win.”

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