ONE Championship: "I lost it too soon" - Superlek determined to reclaim bantamweight Muay Thai gold after short-lived stint

When Superlek Kiatmoo9 knocked Jonathan Haggerty out in their megafight in September 2024 at ONE 168: Denver, he was at the top of the world with two 26-pound golden belts on both shoulders.

But Superlek failed to keep it for a long time because of the weight miss he had during his supposed unification bout with Nabil Anane for the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title at ONE 172 last March 23 in Japan, which forced him to relinquish it on the scales.

Speaking with the South China Morning Post in a recent interview, the Thai striking superstar expressed his desire to recapture it as soon as possible, as he stated:

"Yes, of course, it's the Muay Thai belt, and I got it just a few months back and I feel like I lost it too soon. So, I really want to go after it."

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

Watch Superlek's interview here:

'The Kicking Machine's' woes continued at ONE 172 when he suffered a tough unanimous decision loss to Anane in their non-title match in front of the packed Saitama Super Arena.

This was his second defeat under the world's largest martial arts organization since his promotional debut in February 2019 and ended his 11-fight win streak.

Superlek says that he'll be ready to face anyone after pushing the restart button

The Kiatmoo9 Gym representative revealed that he's back on the drawing board following that defeat at the hands of the Thai-Algerian phenom two months ago.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post, the reigning ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion said that he'll be ready to step inside the ring again regardless of his opponent, as he declared:

"It doesn't matter who would come first. Rodtang or Nabil, if I'm ready, then I am ready. Right now, I'm pushing a reset button. I'm just like, you know, just chilling, relaxing, taking care of myself before I get back into the ring."

Fans can rewatch all the action at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang via watch.onefc.com.

About the author

Anatoly is an MMA writer with six years of experience. He covers ONE Championship at Sportskeeda, where he has contributed over 1000 pieces. He previously served as the lead MMA writer for BetMGM’s blog.

Anatoly holds a bachelor's degree in communication, which he feels has had a significant impact on his career.

Jon Jones’ submission win over Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 in 2011 got him hooked to MMA. His favorite fighters include Eduard Folayang, Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Anatoly provides Sportskeeda with exclusive pieces and has previously interviewed the former ONE flyweight MMA world champion, Adriano Moraes. While writing his pieces, he follows an extensive research process, referring only to credible sources like the UFC’s official website, Sherdog, and ESPN. He also likes to provide insights to his readers by keeping in mind important pillars of communication like media literacy and audience dynamics.

Anatoly advocates for a healthy and fit lifestyle by including boxing in his routine. He also loves to travel.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by C. Naik