ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9 refused to be Nabil Anane’s stepping stone and made a triumphant return to Muay Thai at ONE Friday Fights 22 inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
The decorated Thai fighter stayed true to his moniker and unleashed a violent barrage of kicks at the lower half of his towering 6-foot-2 opponent.
Superlek eventually cornered Anane at the ring ropes, where he followed a well-placed straight right to the solar plexus with a picture-perfect right hook to the temple, which folded the 19-year-old phenom for a knockout victory.
Despite yet another impressive performance, Superlek admitted that Anane’s intimidating height and length were a nightmare to plan for.
Ultimately, his game plan paid off in a one-sided win over the promotional newcomer.
The 27-year-old said afterward:
“Actually, I was shocked by the fight that [ONE] offered me, because he’s very tall. He’s the tallest opponent I’ve ever faced. But I was also very happy to fight in Lumpinee Stadium again.”
“I was actually worried at the initial stage. I just tried to keep the distance very short because he was very tall and his reach was very long. So I decided to start the fight at a closer distance.”
SUPERLEK KIATMOO 9With his seamless transition from kickboxing back to “the art of eight limbs,” Superlek once again proved that he is one of the best – if not the greatest – pure strikers on the planet right now.
Still, the ever-so-humble Thai superstar said otherwise:
“No, I wouldn’t think that I’m the best pound-for-pound best striker in the world for now.”
Superlek Will Use Latest Performance Bonus To Aid Family
In his post-fight interview with Mitch Chilson, Superlek gladly talked about what’s next for him.
After all, he still has responsibilities as the top dog in ONE’s stacked flyweight kickboxing division, while also being the #1-ranked Muay Thai fighter in the weight class.
But in a shocking turn of events, Superlek threw his hat in the ring to join the Jonathan Haggerty sweepstakes:
“What’s next is I want to have my Muay Thai belt and I want to fight Jonathan Haggerty. I want a fight with you, Haggerty!”
Haggerty is the newly crowned ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion and has a list of notable fighters who are aiming for a crack at his gold.
For his part, Superlek made it clear that he wants to bring the belt back to Thailand after Haggerty dethroned his compatriot, the legendary Nong-O Hama, at ONE Fight Night 9 in April.
“The Kicking Machine” said:
“Jonathan [Haggerty] is indeed a very good fighter. A very tough fighter. I really want to know how my skills would play out in that fight.
“I think it was all about the timing. Nong-O got punched first, so it was like all about the timing. I was a little bit disappointed about the result, but it’s ok. I still want the belt to be with Thai people.”
Along with winning his eighth straight bout, Superlek took home one of three US$50,000 performance bonuses from the action-packed ONE Friday Fights 22 card.
Like the good son that he is, the striker revealed he’ll be putting the money to good use by giving back to his doting mother in Thailand.
He added:
“I’m building a house for my mom right now, using the money that I got from the last fight, so that bonus will probably go towards that.”
