Huge upset in Tokyo, Japan. Many didn't give undefeated kickboxer Ryuki Matsuda (12-0) a chance to topple Muay Thai king Khunsueklek and rightfully so. Khunsueklek was riding an, in Muay Thai, unheard-of 47-fight winning streak and was considered by many as the pound-for-pound best striker in the sport. The Japanese fighter on the other hand was largely untested in the ruleset, making the Kyoto native a massive betting underdog, with some sites listing Matsuda as high as a +730 underdog.
Previously, Matsuda only had one fight under Muay Thai rules, which was his unanimous draw against Issei Ishii in April. In a fight many had Matsuda winning, he would take a knockdown in the second round as the result of a groin shot, which was scored by the ref as legal under stadium Muay Thai rules. Prior to fighting Ishii, the only other elite fighter Matsuda faced was Koudai Hirayama under kickboxing rules in March of last year, earning him the #7 spot in the Beyond Kickboxing Flyweight Rankings. As a result, Matsuda came into this fight against Khunsueklek to prove that he could win against the best in the world.
The fight started off fairly even in the first round, with Khunsueklek starting slowly both men not being able to get the better of the other. The second round was where Matsuda was starting to find some success, as he started finding his range against the Thai fighter. Eventually the Japanese speedster found his mark with a left hook to the body, which caused the Thai fighter to fold over and retreat into the ropes. Matsuda then sent three lightning fast right crosses to the head of the Thai phenom, collapsing Khunsueklek out cold with the third cross for the finish. Not only did Matsuda beat the odds by defeating Khunsueklek, he exceeded expectations and made an exclamation by finishing the Thai phenom to claim the Rajadamnern belt in only his second fight in the ruleset.
In a post fight interview, Ryuki Matsuda called out Japanese Muay Thai phenom Nadaka Yoshinari for a fight, a man many thought was on a collision course with Khunsueklek before this fight.
"I'm feeling nothing but happiness right now… I want Nadaka next, me as the champion and him as the challenger."
