In the recently concluded ONE 168: Denver event, Superlek Kiatmoo9 delivered one of the dominating performances of the night. The Thai superstar defeated Jonathan Haggerty in the first round to claim the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title. With this victory, Superlek is now a two-division and two-sport World Champion, as he previously held the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title as well. So what’s next for the Thai superstar? 

He seems ready to take on anyone, which he clarified during his post-fight interview. He said, “My next fight is up to Chatri (Sityodtong). The flyweight division is mine. I’m ready to defend it. The Bantamweight division -mine as well. I am ready to defend all of my territory.” While there is no announcement for his next opponent, we look at what exactly he did to win the fight at ONE 168: Denver. 

Superlek Kiatmoo9 outshines Jonathan Haggerty at ONE 168: Denver 

There are very few fights in ONE Championship that had a build-up like this one. When two of the best strikers collide against each other, fireworks are bound to happen in the fight. However, this was not exactly the case when these two met at the Ball Arena in Denver. ‘The Kicking Machine’ once again proved to the world why he is one of the most dangerous fighters in the world. He recorded a stunning 49-second knockout victory against the Brit with the first elbow he threw in the fight. Haggerty tried his best to get back to his feet but failed to recover from the impact. 

‘The General’ prepared as best he could to defend his belt against the Thai fighter. He underwent a brutal thirteen-week training camp and spent the last four weeks in Denver to help him acclimatize to the conditions. However, he got caught by a perfectly timed elbow from Superlek that ended his night abruptly. With this victory, Supelek has gone 2-0 in his rivalry with Haggerty. The pair matched up back in 2018, but a doctor’s stoppage prematurely ended that contest. 

‘The Kicking Machine’ was never satisfied with the performance and always hoped to get a rematch. His recent performance no doubt silenced any critics, as he has now won eleven straight. But it seems he is now eyeing a trilogy fight with the Brit as he targets a third belt. Let us take a look at what he had to say. 

Superlek Kiatmoo9 is now eyeing the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title 

The newly crowned two-division champion seems to be a man on a mission and wants to continue with his dream run. This time, he wants to test himself against the same opponent he knocked out In Denver. Jonathan Haggerty also holds ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title, and Superlek hopes to get a shot at that as well. He shared the details while speaking to Bangkok Post backstage after the post-event press conference was over. Superlek said, “Jonathan Haggerty is the champion of kickboxing, and if there’s a chance now I’d like to fight for it.”

‘The General’ has been vocal about being a fighting champion and has been eager to defend the belt against deserving challengers. Former champions like Petchtanong, Ilias Ennahachi, and Hiroki Akimoto as well as Chinese star Wei Rui are among the hungry contenders waiting for their shot at gold, but now the newly-crowned two-sport and two-division World Champion is also throwing his name into the mix. We’ll have to wait and see which direction the organization decides to take for the bantamweight kickboxing scene. 

Many experts predicted that the fight would end in a knockout but failed to pick any particular winner. But no one would have expected that the battle would end this soon. How highly do you rate Superlek’s performance against Jonathan Haggerty at ONE 168: Denver? Let us know about it in the comments below.