26-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
ONE Championship: Legendary Superlek out to prove people wrong after ONE 172 horror show
The word 'legend' is thrown around too easily these days, but it fits Superlek Kiatmoo9 like a glove.
The ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion has long been regarded as one of the finest strikers on the planet: calm and humble outside the ring, ruthless and precise inside it – the 'Kicking Machine' had built an aura few could touch.
That was until ONE 172 in Japan earlier this year. Heading into fight week, Superlek held two world titles and was riding a 13-fight winning streak.
But things started to unravel in unexpected fashion. The Thai superstar failed the pre-fight weigh-in and hydration tests, losing his flyweight Muay Thai belt on the scale.
Days later, he suffered a shocking unanimous decision defeat to 20-year-old French-Algerian Nabil Anane, who also became the first man to score a knockdown against Superlek.
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Reflecting on that moment, the 29-year-old told the Post the entire experience was frustrating.
