ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champ Superlek Kiatmoo9 is ready to take on Jonathan Haggerty at ONE 168: Denver on US primetime on Friday, September 6 inside Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. ‘The Kicking Machine’ is known for its immense striking power and amazing discipline of staying in shape all year.

Superlek is going to have his hands full since his opponent is fierce and does not back down no matter who his opponent is. He has fought some great opponents such as Takeru Segawa, Rodtang Jitmuangnon, and Kongthoranee Sor Sommai among many others. Now he is going to clash against ‘The General’ who has eight wins in ONE Championship, including three straight knockouts in six straight wins. And he shared his mentality going into the fight in a recent ES Exclusive interview. 

Superlek Kiatmoo9 talks about his past opponents

 On being asked,  “You have fought some of the best fighters around the world and you have managed to beat them- Rodtang, Takeru, Kongthoranne, and the list goes on. Where would you put Jonathan Haggerty amongst all?” the champ with 11 wins in ONE Championship said, “I usually don’t rank my opponents that way. I believe that everyone is good in his way, everyone has his strength. Kongthoranee has knock-out power you have to look out for. Takeru has exceptional speed, as well as Haggerty. Rodtang has a great punch combo. On this global stage, they are all great fighters.”

Superlek is riding an insane 10-fight win streak and has tested himself against some of the best strikers in the world, probably none more impressive than his last three conquests.  At ONE Friday Fights 34 in September last year, he squared off with a fellow rising legend in ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang ‘The Iron Man’ Jitmuangnon. He experienced first-hand the vaunted durability and aggressiveness of ‘The Iron Man’ through three rounds of war.

About four months later, Superlek faced Japanese superstar Takeru Segawa as he defended his ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title. While he successfully kept his belt, it did not come easily as ‘The Natural Born Crusher’ used his speed to rally in the later rounds of their bout. 

In his latest outing, the Kiatmoo9 Gym representative stepped into battle with the streaking Kongthoranee at ONE Friday Fights 68 just this past June. There, he neutralized the Sor Sommai standout’s knockout power with a methodical performance that he could utilize in his upcoming match. 

He will need to be his best self when he challenges Jonathan Haggerty for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship. Before they share the stage later this week, let’s see what happened during their first fight.

Jonathan Haggerty and Superlek’s first fight outcome

The world of combat sports has seen some iconic rivalries between veteran fighters over the years. However, the upcoming fight at ONE 168: Denver is not just a simple rivalry. It is going to be a fierce battle of Champions to prove who is the best.  The interesting thing is that  Superlek has already defeated Haggerty in 2018 prior to both of them joining ONE. However, the Thai star was not happy with the victory because his opponent had suffered a cut above his eye and the physician had to intervene and stop the match.

With this second chance at proving himself to the world, ‘The Kicking Machine’ aims to show that he can beat his equally capable opponent. ‘The General’, on the other hand, has more to prove because he not only is going to put his belt on the line, he is also out to show that he has truly evolved as a fighter.

Both fighters are excited to clash again especially because they respect each other a lot. Haggerty even said in a ONE Championship interview,  ““I feel our styles are the same. We’re both aggressive. We both come for the knockout. I’d say we’re both up there as pound-for-pound bests. He’s the best in flyweight. I’m the best in bantamweight. So, why not put us together and see who is the best?” 

Who do you think is going to win this time? Is Superlek going to add another win to his basket or Haggerty is going to prove his worth?