Superlek Kiatmoo9 Reveals 2 Fighters He Wants to Beat Before Rodtang Jitmuangnon Bout

Like the rest of the world, Superlek Kiatmoo9 still wants to fight Rodtang Jitmuangnon. However, he sees it as an eventual battle instead of an immediate one. Fresh off a quick win at ONE Friday Fights 22 on June 23, the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion is set to headline ONE Fight Night 12 this coming Friday. He’ll face dangerous Russian striker Tagir Khalilov in flyweight Muay Thai action inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. 

“The Kicking Machine” valiantly stepped in on short notice after the originally scheduled main event between light heavyweight kickboxing king Roman Kryklia and Albanian challenger Francesco Xhaja fell through due to an injury to the latter.

Superlek Kiatmoo9 shocked the fans by calling out Jonathan Haggerty instead of Rodtang

It was a somewhat unexpected move for the Thai superstar, given that he called out bantamweight Muay Thai king Jonathan Haggerty after his latest win, which was itself a surprise, as he is the top contender for Rodtang’s flyweight Muay Thai strap. When asked if there was a special reason for calling out “The General,” Superlek said it was because the Brit offered an interesting test. 

“Nothing in particular. I just enjoy fighting with great fighters, because it is a challenge to myself, and it only makes me get better at my skills,” he told ONE Championship in a recent interview.

READ MORE – “The Fight Went as I Had Predicted”: Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida Analyzes ONE Heavyweight World Title Unification Bout and Eyes His Own Path to Glory

A Haggerty-Superlek matchup would no doubt produce fireworks, but a clash between the two Thai flyweight kings is something fans have been clamoring for since they both joined ONE. The Kiatmoo9 Gym representative acknowledges the interest but believes there is a right time for everything, and he went on to lay out a hitlist of big name fighters he’d like to meet on his way to Rodtang.

Superlek Kiatmoo9 saw a number of names apart from Rodtang whom he wanted to fight

“We believe that there are so many other great opponents around the world waiting for us. I feel like our match can wait,” Superlek said. “I want to fight Jonathan Haggerty, Takeru Segawa, then Rodtang – in that order.” 

READ MORE – Amir Aliakbari and Dustin Joynson Set to Determine World Title Contenders in a Heavyweight Clash at ONE Fight Night 12

Before he starts crossing out names on his list, though, he needs to get past a dominant opponent in Khalilov. The hard-hitting Russian is coming off back-to-back first-round finishes, and he will be motivated to pull off a massive upset on July 14. Fans in North America can watch all the action go down live and for free on Prime Video with an active Amazon subscription.