Fresh off back-to-back knockouts for the first time in his impressive ONE Championship tenure, Superlek “The Kicking Machine” Kiatmoo9 is ready to keep the ball rolling this Friday in the main event of ONE Fight Night 12 on Prime Video.
Now in his final preparations for his much-anticipated Muay Thai clash with surging Russian scrapper “Samingpri” Tagir Khalilov, the Thai superstar seems to have put all the pieces together to solidify his status as not only one of the planet’s top pound-for-pound strikers but also a ruthless finisher.
Superlek Kiatmoo9 prepares for high-stakes clash with Tagir Khalilov
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When Superlek squares off with Khalilov live in U.S. primetime from the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, he’ll be showcasing the product of recent changes to his training regimen.
Those changes, he says, have led the #1-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender to feel more comfortable chasing the knockout from the opening bell.
In an interview with ONE Championship, he said:
“For my training this year, I focused on sharpening my techniques to finish opponents as soon as possible. Because I don’t want to delay the fight any longer. I will try to finish the fight ASAP.”
Indeed, Superlek has already started to reap the benefits of those changes.
Read more: Superlek Kiatmoo9 Reveals 2 Fighters He Wants to Beat Before Rodtang Jitmuangnon Bout
In his most recent outing, at ONE Friday Fights 22, “The Kicking Machine” needed less than three minutes to dispatch 19-year-old phenom Nabil Anane, overwhelming him with thunderous leg kicks and rib-crunching body shots to score the early finish.
Superlek brings in some training changes
The emphasis on the knockout has been a welcome change for Superlek and his fans around the world. Because even though he won eight of his first nine bouts in ONE, capturing the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title in the process, only one of those victories came by way of stoppage.
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Given that history, the 27-year-old heard criticism that he was a decision fighter.
He says that, in the face of those criticisms, he simply continued to work to improve his weaknesses:
“Previously, there are many people who criticize me about my old style, saying that I play around too much and finish the fight too late. But I’m don’t take any grudges with those trash comments. I just admit that and figure out how to improve myself with a new training style.”
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This Friday, Superlek will enjoy another opportunity to prove his doubters wrong and push for his third consecutive knockout finish.