The 22-year-old enters the bout riding a rapid rise that could place him directly into the ONE Championship featherweight title picture. Win or lose, Mengyang has already become one of the most talked-about young strikers in the sport. Before this big kickboxing fight between Tawanchai and Liu Mengyang, Beyond Kickboxing's Silver Tang had an interview with rising kickboxing star, Mengyang.
Just one year ago, Mengyang was virtually unknown — even in China. He fought wherever opportunities appeared, from shopping malls to bars, rarely earning a spot on A-level cards. When his matchup with Japanese kickboxing icon Masaaki Noiri was announced, the response was disbelief rather than excitement: "Who is this guy, and why is he fighting Noiri?" However, Mengyang showed his answer decisively. He stunned the kickboxing world by knocking down Noiri, instantly reshaping the Chinese 70 kg landscape. Long dominated by Ouyang Feng, Luo Chao, and Han Wenbao, the division suddenly had a new name that could no longer be ignored. Now, one year later, a new question has risen, "Is Mengyang the best 70 kg kickboxer in China?"
Mengyang's rise has been built on calculated risk. Until recently, Mengyang was still struggling under financial pressure. Before becoming a professional fighter, he worked as a dishwasher. After committing full-time to combat sports, he accepted an intense fight schedule, kickboxing and MMA alike, simply to stay afloat. The Noiri bout was a turning point.
For the first time, Mengyang entered a full-length training camp. With the backing of Shunyuan Fight, he prepared a highly specific tactical approach and produced the biggest upset kickboxing fight of 2024. Had he lost, the cost would have been enormous: months of preparation, financial strain, and the opportunities he turned down along the way. But Mengyang understood the stakes. But Mengyang knew the truth better than anyone. For a poor kid from the countryside, only a high-stakes gamble could ever change his fate.
That same reality defines his upcoming fight with Tawanchai. This opportunity exists largely because the Thai star is seeking revenge against Noiri, and Mengyang — the man who defeated him — became the ideal opponent. In the broader ONE Championship storyline linking Thailand and Japan, Mengyang was expected to be a supporting character. Then again, who’s to say this supporting character won’t break the script once more?
Just like he did a year ago.
