Jo Nattawut outlines path to victory over Luke Lessei: “He’s a tricky guy”

“Smokin’” Jo Nattawut is gearing up for what could be his last explosive push toward ONE World Title contention.

After over a decade of trading blows with elite strikers, he finds himself at the tail end of a storied career.

With a burning desire to possess 26 pounds of gold, the Thai knockout artist faces Luke Lessei at ONE Fight Night 17 on Prime Video this December 8. It airs live in U.S. primetime from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

He recently overcame a three-fight skid in ONE Championship, so Nattawut feels there’s enough fuel left in his gas tank for one final blaze of glory.

“I just turned 34, and I’m at my last gas tank right now. Any fight can be my last fight. So my ultimate goal, the goal is I want to fight — I really want to fight for the title before I retire,” he said.

“Because I’m not the guy saying, ‘Oh, I’m gonna fight until 40, until 38.’ No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Me? Maybe like one year, maybe another half year. Who knows?”

At this point, Nattawut feels no ill effects and stands in prime condition.

“To me, my body is still ready. It’s still good. So I can see my body is still up there at the top. So after the fight, you know, I didn’t feel pain at all,” he said.

“I just got ready and jumped right into training camp, which is good.”

Jo Nattawut expects tall order at ONE Fight Night 17

Ranked #4 in the talent-rich featherweight Muay Thai division, Jo Nattawut understands the importance of this moment.

His foe, Luke Lessei, adds an element of unpredictability to their bout at ONE Fight Night 17 on Prime Video.

“With his style, he likes to play a lot. He’s a tricky guy and plays a lot. Yeah, that’s it. That’s what we see,” Nattawut said.

Even with a significant experience advantage, Nattawut isn’t underestimating the American’s creativity and unorthodox style.

“When it comes to me, fight camp, I always make sure it’s about me. It’s not about my opponent. I don’t think about my opponent,” he said.

“I’m thinking about, ‘OK, me, just sharpen my weapons,’ you know? I want to go fast. I want to hit hard. I want to go fast. Make sure you’re on point, and that’s it for me.”

“Smokin’” Jo is tight-lipped about specific predictions, preferring to let his performance speak for itself.

“It’s going to be a fun fight. It’s going to bang,” he said.