“I already know how I will handle him” – Saemapetch says he’s crafted the perfect game plan for Mohamed Younes Rabah rematch

When Saempetch Fairtex was first pitted against Mohamed Younes Rabah in December 2023 at ONE Fight Night 17, he didn't know what to expect from him since he was a promotional newcomer.

They figured in a catchweight fight when the Algerian failed to meet his end on the scales after taking the contest on short notice. On top of that all, the Team Mehdi Zatout star had a five-inch height advantage.

These were possibly some of the factors that contributed to the first-round knockout loss that Saemapetch sustained during their previous match.

But this time, Saemapetch believes that he has picked up valuable lessons from that setback that he could use in their upcoming rematch. He revealed this in a recent interview with ONE Championship by saying:

“I felt concerned because my opponent was much taller than me. And he weighs more. It makes me feel uncomfortable. How should I defeat him? But for this fight, I already knew him from the previous fight. I already know how I will handle him.”

The 29-year-old Thai athlete is now ready to even their head-to-head score when they run it back int he same venue – Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

After all, he found success in the early phase of the fight, where he floored the undefeated 26-year-old star. Unfortunately, he was caught by a perfect counter that returned the favor and put him down on the canvas as well.

Eventually, Rabah finished him off with a flurry of strikes, and he wasn’t able to continue as the referee was forced to stop the fight.

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Saemapetch wants to maintain his spot in the rankings with a win against Rabah

There is only one thing that Saemapetch wants at ONE Fight Night 19 this Friday, Feb. 16, and that is to exact revenge against his former tormentor.

In addition, a victory on fight night should allow him to maintain his spot in the top five rankings of the division and keep his status as an elite contender in the upper echelon.

Additionally, he has fully accepted that stain on his record courtesy of Rabah, despite the controversial knee that he landed on when Saemapetch was already down. The Team Mehdi Zatout representative has since apologized for it and made it clear that it was unintentional.

ONE Fight Night 19 is available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.