ONE Championship: Aliff Rakib to take on Prajanchai for strawweight Muay Thai world title

Aliff Rakib will challenge long-reigning strawweight Muay Thai champion Prajanchai PK Saenchai for the ONE Championship world title in February 2026, promotion chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong has announced during a Facebook Live broadcast.\nThe confirmation comes less than two weeks after Rakib produced a composed and tactically disciplined performance to defeat Ramadan Ondash by unanimous decision at ONE Fight Night 38, extending his winning streak in the organisation to five fights and solidifying his position as the division’s top contender.\nRakib, who is half Thai and half Malaysian, has steadily built his reputation through technical precision rather than knockout power – a contrast that was on full display against Ondash, one of the division’s most dangerous punchers.\n“I think people need to understand that this is sport,” Rakib told the Post. “In order to win, sometimes you just need to come up with some plans. He’s a heavy hitter, he’s a puncher, but I’m more of a kicker, so I cannot just go in and trade punches with him.”\nRakib dismissed criticism from some fans who accused him of running during the bout, insisting that tactical adaptation was central to elite-level Muay Thai.\n“If you just want excitement, that’s not sport,” he said. “I am here to win. The plan is created for me to win.”\n\nOne of the defining moments of the fight came through Rakib’s use of flying knees, a technique he revealed was emphasised heavily in camp.\n“My father called me every day,” Rakib said. “He told me I really needed to work on that because he was confident it would hit Ramadan for sure.”\nThe 22-year-old stopped short of calling the technique a signature weapon, noting the difficulty of executing it consistently at the highest level.\n“You really need to have the opening,” he said. “It’s quite difficult to execute, so we’ll have to see in the game.”\nThe matchup with Prajanchai is expected to present a markedly different challenge. The champion has previously questioned Rakib’s style, suggesting he is overly defensive, remarks Rakib believed may reflect an awareness of the threat he posed.\n“I don’t know about that,” Rakib said, remaining modest despite the jibes from the champ.\n\n\nVictory over Prajanchai would see Rakib become the first Malaysian Muay Thai world champion in ONE Championship history, a milestone he said carried significance beyond his own career.\n“It’s very important to me,” Rakib said. “Right now, a lot of Malaysians have respect for me. Some people have even offered me positions as a national team coach.”\nRakib believed his rise could help inspire younger fighters in a country still searching for its first global Muay Thai champion.\n“I could become an inspiration for kids and for people who have this dream,” he said.\nAlthough strawweight kickboxing champion Jonathan Di Bella had publicly suggested a future crossover bout, Rakib insisted his focus remained on Muay Thai.\n“My focus right now is the Muay Thai belt first,” he said. “Then I’ll move to kickboxing.”\nRakib has previously said he was content to wait for opportunities rather than force them, but his message to Prajanchai was unambiguous.\n“I am waiting for you,” he said. “If all the contracts are signed, please do not withdraw from the fight.”\n