‘That Would Be Really Cool’ – Smilla Sundell Eager to See a ONE Championship vs. UFC Mega Event

Smilla Sundell loves a good fight, and she dreams of seeing the world’s best go up against each other in a dream pairing one day. The ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion has high reverence for the position she is in right now, and she believes ONE Championship is up there with the UFC as the top two combat sports organization on the planet today.

Speaking to Essentially Sports, Sundell said she also feels the two sports giants are undeniably above the competition right now. “Yeah, I think those are the biggest ones in the world because the [viewership] numbers show it. I think you can’t get any better tangible proof than that,” she said.    

Smilla Sundell is one for the strikers

As a pioneer in the industry, the UFC has become synonymous with MMA for most fans. But over the years, more organizations have risen to prominence, with ONE Championship making significant growth this past year. The Asia-based promotion mounted 60 events in 2023, and it broadcasts shows to 190 countries.

Unlike its American counterpart, though, it also showcases multiple martial arts disciplines at its shows. With the opportunity to display her talents across multiple sports, the Swedish teen sensation has hinted at transitioning to the all-encompassing sport of MMA at some point in the future.

As a viewer, she says watching fighters on their feet and exchanging strikes makes the sport more exciting and relatable to her. However, she acknowledged that she may need to develop some ground game to make the move. 

“Definitely. Because then I understand the game more. It’s better to see strikes being thrown than figuring out how long control time was on the ground. But I started learning MMA now, so soon, I think, I will need to incorporate some of those to my game,” the strawweight Muay Thai queen said.  

Will she move to MMA?

With eyes on a potential move to MMA, Sundell has been watching her competitors, and she’s not limiting her scouting for potential opponents in ONE. “The Hurricane” has hope that there could be an opportunity for the world’s top two combat sports promotions to come together for a massive event at some point, so she’s been keeping an eye on the talent the UFC boasts.

Also Read: Chatri Sityodtong Says ONE Championship Anticipates Core Business Profitability by 2024

“I watch some of the girls in my weight class because those are who I’ll probably face when I transition to the sport. I need to get a feel on the competition,” Sundell said. “I think they (female UFC fighters) are also very good. But I would really like to see a ONE vs UFC one day to see who’s the best in the world. I think that would be really cool.”

Also Read: “The Range Is So Diverse With the Best Guys in the World” – Sage Northcutt Says Fans Are Catching On to ONE Championship’s Exciting Shows