Thailand's Superlek Kiatmoo9 is already the reigning ONE Championship flyweight kickboxing titleholder, but he's hoping to work his way to top status in the sport of muay Thai, as well.
As the current No. 1-ranked contender in ONE Championship's flyweight muay Thai division, that opportunity may not be too far off. But "The Kicking Machine" isn't interested in simply waiting around. 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 takes on Russian striker Tagir Khalilov in the night's main event.
With more than 130 career wins to his name, Superlek is considered one of the best strikers on the planet, beginning his competitive career at just 8 years old. He made his way to the ONE Championship roster in 2019 and has built an impressive 10–1 record in the promotion, including victories in his past six appearances.
Superlek has certainly done enough to merit a shot at the flyweight muay Thai belt, but he's been hesitant to book a fight with the current reigning champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon, a fellow Thai superstar, citing a mutual respect for each other and a desire for their shared home country to have as many athletes across the top of the ranks as possible. The two haven't completely ruled out a future meeting, but Superlek is electing to stay busy in the meantime.
Enter the No. 5-ranked Khalilov.
After winning national titles in his native Russia, as well as World Muay Thai International and Global Championships gold, Khalilov made his way to ONE Championship, where he came up short in his first two appearances. However, he has since battled back to score back-to-back knockout victories, earning himself this high-profile main event.
ONE Championship's muay Thai bouts are contested in four-ounce MMA gloves, adding an extra degree of excitement to an already high-paced sport, and ONE Fight Night 12 will highlight the discipline in the night's main event, while the remainder of the card will also feature MMA, kickboxing and submission grappling. ONE Championship remains unique in the combat sports landscape by featuring four unique disciplines on the same card, leading to the organization billing 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 p.m. Friday, includes:
