Flyweight kickboxing king Superlek Kiatmoo9 is vying for two-sport supremacy in ONE Championship, and his quest continues at ONE Friday Fights 22. 

On Friday, June 23, the Thai striking superstar will compete in Muay Thai action against 19-year-old phenom Nabil Anane inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, and it will serve as his first appearance at the historic venue since 2017. 

Superlek won the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title in front of his home fans at ONE Fight Night 6 earlier this year, but that event was held at the Impact Arena in the Thai capital. 

Though it was an unforgettable evening for “The Kicking Machine,” he maintains that there is nothing quite like the energy of fighting at Lumpinee. 

Therefore, he jumped at the opportunity to fight at a ONE Friday Fights event. 

Read more: “I Am Very Relieved” – Superlek Grateful for Succesful World Title Defense, Respects Williams’ Courage and Heart for Stepping In at Short Notice

“[I switched from kickboxing] because I want to fight at the iconic Lumpinee Stadium. I miss this place. When the ONE team called me and told me that the fight will take place on June 23 at Lumpinee, I was so excited. I accepted the offer immediately,” Supelek told ONE Championship in an interview.

“Every time I watch [ONE Friday Fights], they always hype me up. I want to be part of this program. And I said to myself, ‘Someday, I want to come back to fight at Lumpinee again.’”

Superlek Kiatmoo9 anticipates a crowded show 

The 27-year-old superstar will meet a tough challenge in Anane in his return to “the art of eight limbs.” The Thailand-based French-Algerian has been under the tutelage of former two-sport ONE athlete Mehdi Zatout since the age of 14, and he is already a two-division WBC Muay Thai World Champion. 

At 6-foot-2, Anane will have a 7-inch reach advantage over Superlek, and he’ll look to use every bit of it to make a big impression on his promotional debut. 

Superlek is unbeaten in ONE’s Muay Thai ranks, however, and he hopes to follow up his December 2022 win over Panpayak Jitmuangnon to bolster his chances to challenge ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon for his belt. 

That is, undoubtedly, in the forefront of his mind, but the top-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender maintains he’s just excited to showcase his talents in front of a full-capacity crowd at the iconic stadium – alongside some legendary compatriots. 

Read more: 3 Reasons to Believe Why Superlek Can Be the Man to End Rodtang’s Perfect Striking Run in ONE Championship

“This is a historic event of ONE Lumpinee, and I’m sure there will not be an empty seat left. The stadium will be crowded with fans. I’m honored to fight at ONE Lumpinee and be on the same card as many elite fighters like Seksan [Or Kwanmuang], Sam-A [Gaiyanghadao], Prajanchai [PK Saenchai], Superbon [Singha Mawynn], and so on,” Superlek said.