Thailand’s Superlek Kiatmoo9 is already the reigning ONE Championship flyweight kickboxing titleholder, but he hopes to work at the highest level in the sport of muay Thai.
As the current No. 1-ranked contender in the flyweight muay Thai division of ONE Championship, that chance may not be too far off. But “The Kicking Machine” isn’t interested in just waiting. With that in mind, the 27-year-old Kiatmoo9 Gym representative returns to action at this weekend’s ONE Fight Night 12 event in Bangkok, where he will take on Russian striker Tagir Khalilov in tonight’s main event.
With more than 130 career wins to his name, Superlek is considered one of the best strikers on the planet, starting his competitive career at the age of 8. He entered the ONE Championship roster in 2019 and created impressive 10-1 record in the promotion, including wins in the last six games.
Superlek has done enough to win the flyweight muay Thai belt, but he is hesitant to fight current reigning champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon, a fellow Thai superstar, citing mutual respect for each other and a desire for what they share. home country with as many athletes at the top of the ranks as possible. The two have not completely ruled out a future meeting, but Superlek chose to stay busy in the meantime.
Enter No. 5-ranked Khalilov.
After winning national titles in his native Russia, as well as World Muay Thai International and Global Championships gold, Khalilov headed to ONE Championship, where he fell short in his first two bouts. However, he has since fought back to score back-to-back knockout victories, earning himself this high-profile main event.
ONE Championship’s muay Thai bouts feature four-ounce MMA gloves, adding even more excitement to an already intense sport, and ONE Fight Night 12 will highlight the discipline in tonight’s main event, while the The rest of the card also features MMA, kickboxing and submission grappling. ONE Championship remains unique in the combat sports landscape by featuring four unique disciplines on the same card, leading the organization to bill itself as “The Home of Martial Arts.”
The complete lineup for ONE Fight Night 12, which will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video at 8 pm Friday, includes:
- Superlek Kiatmoo9 vs. Tagir Khalilov (Muay Thai)
- Garry Tonon Vs. Shamil Gasanov
- Amir Aliakbari vs. Dustin Johnson
- Xie Wei vs. Yuya Wakamatsu
- Walter Goncalves vs. Banma Duoji
- Tammi Musumeci vs. Amanda Alequin (submission grappling)
- Aaron Canarte vs. Akbar Abdullaev
- Lara Fernandez vs. Phetjeeja (Muay Thai)
- Constantin Rusu vs. Bogdan Shumarov (kickboxing)
