Jo Nattawut

Jo Nattawut (born October 7, 1989), also known as Smokin' Jo, is a Thai Muay Thai kickboxer. He is a 5-time Lion Fight super welterweight champion and 1-time Lion Fight middleweight champion, as well as the former WMC Super Lightweight champion.[1] He currently competes in ONE Championship for ONE Super Series.

Jo Nattawut
BornNattawut Somkhun
(1989-10-07) October 7, 1989
Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
Native nameโจ ณัฐวุฒิ
Other namesSmokin' Jo
NationalityThai
Height178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight70.0 kg (154.3 lb; 11.02 st)
DivisionFeatherweight (ONE)
Light middleweight
Middleweight
StyleMuay Thai
Fighting out ofAtlanta, Georgia, United States
TeamUnited Training Center
Kickboxing record
Total80
Wins70
Losses8
Draws2

Jo Nattawut is currently ranked #3 in the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai rankings.[2]

Biography

Early years

Jo Nattawut (real name Nattawut Somkhun) was born in Nakhon Ratchasima in the Northeastern Isan region of Thailand. Jo grew up playing football at school and spent his weekends working on local rice farms.

Early career

Jo first discovered Muay Thai at 10 years old, when he saw his football coach hitting a heavy bag. Jo asked to join, starting to train Muay Thai after football practice. He took his first fight at the age of 10 with 12 hours notice. Eventually, he decided to join a Muay Thai camp near his house and continue training in his free time. When he was 18 years old, Jo moved to Bangkok to join a gym and get serious about Muay Thai.

After a year and a half of no success in Muay Thai, Jo gave up Muay Thai and moved to Ko Pha-ngan island. During the day, he worked at a restaurant, hotel, and fitness gym, and at night he sold whiskey on the beach for tourist parties. Jo also organized Muay Thai showcases for tourists and occasionally put himself on the card to fight.

Move to the United States and Lion Fight

Jo moved to the United States in early 2013. He first lived in Colorado, where he fell in love with snowboarding. He moved to Atlanta, Georgia in late 2013, where he taught kickboxing and Muay Thai classes.[3]

In the United States, Jo fought for Lion Fight, an American Muay Thai organization based in Las Vegas. Nattawut's first fight was with one week's notice, at Lion Fight 17 against Cosmo Alexandre. Jo won by split decision. Nattawut's next fight was infamously taken on 24 hours notice against Sean Kearney at Lion Fight 19. He ended up winning the fight by unanimous decision.

At Lion Fight 22, Jo Nattawut defeated Salah Khalifa to win the Lion Fight Super Welterweight Championship. He would go on to successfully defend the super welterweight title 5 times: Charlie Peters at Lion Fight 24, Cedric Manhoef at Lion Fight 28, Hasan Toy at Lion Fight 33, Kengsiam Nor Sripueng at Lion Fight 35, and Petchtanong Banchamek at Lion Fight 37. He also defeated fellow Thai expatriate fighter Malaipet Sasiprapa at Lion Fight 32 to win the Lion Fight Middleweight Championship.

ONE Championship

After winning multiple Muay Thai titles at the Lion Fight tournaments in the United States, including the Lion Fight Super Welterweight and Lion Fight Middleweight Titles, Nattawut signed a contract with ONE Championship. He made his ONE debut on April 20, 2018 at ONE Championship: Heroes of Honor in Manila, facing legendary kickboxer Giorgio Petrosyan. He lost to Petrosyan by unanimous decision.[4]

His next fight was against Yohann Drai at ONE Championship: Pursuit of Power in Kuala Lumpur on July 13, 2018. Nattawut would knock out Drai in the first round, giving him his first win in ONE Championship.[5] On November 9, 2018, he faced George Mann of Scotland at ONE Championship: Heart of the Lion in Singapore, where he won by unanimous decision.[6]

On February 16, 2019, Jo Nattawut would return to fight in Thailand for the first time since moving to the United States at ONE Championship: Clash of Legends in Bangkok. His opponent at the event was Samy Sana of France, whom he defeated by unanimous decision.[7]

Jo Nattawut was selected to compete in the ONE Super Series Kickboxing Featherweight World Grand Prix, which included Yodsanklai Fairtex, Giorgio Petrosyan, and Dzhabar Askerov. His opponent for the Quarter-Finals was Sasha Moisa, a Ukrainian fighter who'd previously knocked out former Thai champions and who also competes in lethwei in World Lethwei Championship[8] (which is a partner of ONE Championship). In the Grand Prix Quarter-Finals at ONE Championship: Enter the Dragon in Singapore, he defeated Sasha Moisa via TKO, knocking down the Ukrainian 3 times in the third round, securing a win and advancing to the Grand Prix Semi-Finals.[9]

In the Kickboxing Featherweight Grand Prix Semi-Finals, he was set to face Giorgio Petrosyan a second time at ONE Championship: Dreams of Gold in Bangkok. However, in his rematch with Petrosyan, Nattawut lost by knockout in the first round, getting eliminated from the Kickboxing Featherweight World Grand Prix.[10]

Jo currently trains at his own gym, United Training Center, located in Atlanta, Georgia.[11]

Titles and accomplishments
  • World Muaythai Council
    • WMC World Super Lightweight Championship
  • Lion Fight
    • 2016 Lion Fight Middleweight Champion[12]
    • 2015 Lion Fight Super Welterweight Champion[13] (5 defenses)
  • World Professional Muaythai Federation
    • 2009 WPMF World 140 lbs. Champion

Fight record
Kickboxing record
70 Wins , 8 Losses , 2 Draw
DateResultOpponentEventLocationMethodRoundTime
2019-08-16Loss Giorgio PetrosyanONE Championship: Dreams of GoldBangkok, ThailandKO (Left Straight)12:44
Kickboxing Featherweight Grand Prix Semi-Finals
2019-05-17Win Sasha MoisaONE Championship: Enter the DragonKallang, SingaporeTKO (3 Knockdown Rule)31:24
Kickboxing Featherweight Grand Prix Quarter-Finals
2019-02-16Win Samy SanaONE Championship: Clash of LegendsThailandDecision (Unanimous)33:00
2018-11-09Win George MannONE Championship: Heart of the LionKallang, SingaporeDecision (Unanimous)33:00
2018-07-13Win Yohann DraiONE Championship: Pursuit of PowerKuala Lumpur, MalaysiaKO (Punches)12:59
2018-04-20Loss Giorgio PetrosyanONE Championship: Heroes of HonorManila, PhilippinesDecision33:00
2017-07-28Win Petchtanong BanchamekLion Fight 37Ledyard, United StatesDecision (Unanimous)53:00
Defends the Lion Fight Super Welterweight title.
2017-03-03Win Kengsiam Nor SripuengLion Fight 35Ledyard, United StatesKO (Knees to the leg)32:40
Defends the Lion Fight Super Welterweight title.
2017-01-13Win Yan ZhaoSuperstar Fight 7Hunan, ChinaDecision33:00
2016-11-18Win Hasan ToyLion Fight 33United StatesDecision (Unanimous)53:00
Defends the Lion Fight Super Welterweight title.
2016-10-21Win Malaipet SasiprapaLion Fight 32Las Vegas, United StatesDecision (Unanimous)53:00
Wins the vacant Lion Fight Middleweight title.
2016-07-02Win Mo ZhuangSuperstar Fight 4Shenzhen, ChinaKO2
2016-05-27Loss Regian EerselLion Fight 29United StatesKO (Right high kick)5
2016-02-26Win Cedric ManhoefLion Fight 28United StatesDecision53:00
Defends the Lion Fight super welterweight title.
2015-09-25Win Charlie PetersLion Fight 24Ledyard, United StatesKO (Elbows)3
Defends the Lion Fight super welterweight title.
2015-05-22Win Salah KhalifaLion Fight 22United StatesDecision53:00
Wins the Lion Fight super welterweight title.
2015-02-20Win Richard AbrahamLion Fight 20United StatesDecision53:00
2014-11-21Win Sean KerneyLion Fight 19Ledyard, United StatesDecision53:00
2014-08-01Win Cosmo AlexandreLion Fight 17United StatesDecision53:00
2012-03-03Loss Toby SmithDomination 8AustraliaDecision53:00

Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

References
  1. ""Smokin" Jo Nattawut". strikersinternational.com. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  2. "Athlete Rankings". ONE Championship - The Home Of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  3. "Get To Know: "Smokin" Jo Nattawut - ONE Championship - The Home Of Martial Arts". onefc.com. 11 April 2018.
  4. "ONE 'Heroes of Honor' results: Belingon, Petrosyan prevail in Manila". MMA Mania. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  5. "Jo Nattawut vs Yohann Fairtex Drai at 'ONE: Pursuit of Power' in Malaysia". CONAN Daily. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  6. "Jo Nattawut vs George Mann at 'ONE: Heart of the Lion' in Singapore". CONAN Daily. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  7. "Thailand's Jo Nattawut earns 3rd ONE Super Series win at 'ONE: Clash of Legends' in Bangkok". CONAN Daily. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  8. "FULL RESULTS FROM WORLD LETHWEI CHAMPIONSHIP 7". The Fight Nation. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  9. "Jo Nattawut Stuns Sasha Moisa With TKO In Kickboxing World Grand Prix". ONE Championship - The Home Of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  10. "Giorgio Petrosyan Hits Shocking First-Round KO To Stop Jo Nattawut". ONE Championship - The Home Of Martial Arts. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
  11. "United Training Center". UTC Atlanta. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
  12. Tatum, Rob. "Lion Fight 32 Results: Nattawut Tops Malaipet, Becomes Two-Division Champion".
  13. Press, Combat. "Lion Fight 22: Nattawut vs. Khalifa Results".
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