Superlek Kiatmoo9 will be facing a familiar foe when he goes for a second World Title, but he will be approaching it with the mentality of fighting a different fighter. On Friday, September 6, ‘The Kicking Machine’ goes for two-sport and two-division glory when he challenges Jonathan ‘The General’ Haggerty for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship at the co-main event of ONE 168: Denver.

It will mark the promotion’s live return to the United States and will take place inside the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. And ahead of this much-awaited clash, the Thailand native has been quite complementary of ‘The General’.

Superlek thinks Haggerty has improved a lot

Back in 2018, Superlek and Haggerty squared off in a heated Muay Thai battle that ended prematurely after the referee decided to stop the contest before the start of the third round due to a cut on the Englishman’s head.

More than half a decade later, both men are now at the top of their respective divisions and have been dominating the competition as of late. Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA, the Thai star acknowledged that his upcoming opponent has changed dramatically since their initial meeting. However, he also said that he, too, has vastly improved his skills.

“I think his improvements have been well-rounded. He’s improved his speed, also his power. His punches are precise, and he’s gained a lot of experience since then. I can say that he’s on another level,” he said.

“I also believe that I have made huge improvements since the last time he fought me. I’ve been with ONE for a while, and I have grown comfortable with the style and smaller gloves. I’m now ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion. I think that says enough about how far I have come. I’m thrilled to face him at the top of his game,” he added. And Superlek, who is in red-hot form, is confident that he will have no trouble transitioning to the higher weight class against ‘The General’.

Superlek is confident in his preparations for ‘The General’

Since moving up to bantamweight, ‘The General’ has finished three of his four opponents on his way to claiming gold in kickboxing and Muay Thai. Meanwhile, Superlek is on a massive tear with nine straight wins, none bigger than his last two bouts.

He became the first man to defeat flyweight Muay Thai king Rodtang ‘The Iron Man’ Jitmuangnon in striking competitions and followed it up by overwhelming Japanese kickboxing star Takeru Segawa to firmly establish his place as the top flyweight striker in the world’s largest martial arts organization.

While he will only be fighting in his first bantamweight contest in ONE, the Kiatmoo9 Gym representative is confident that he will easily bring all his weapons seamlessly because of his preparations. “I don’t think there is any difficulty in preparations. I will do my best in order to be ready for this fight,” he said. What are your predictions for Superlek vs. Haggerty?