“I was in shock for a while” - Superlek says his uncle’s sudden passing had him shook ahead of ONE 165

Mere weeks heading into his Tokyo super fight, Superlek Kiatmoo9 experienced utter heartbreak that imminently shook him to the core.

Superlek revealed in an interview with ONE Championship that one of his closest supporters, his uncle Pun Iamsiri, passed away while he was in training camp.

The reigning ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion was stunned to hear the news of his uncle’s passing, but he remained to the task at hand and carried the emotional burden with him.

Superlek will defend his gold against Japanese megastar Takeru Segawa in the main event of ONE 165 this Sunday at Ariake Arena.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Superlek recalled how he received the news and the way he handled the pain of losing such a close family member.

“I was in fight camp when he died. That day, my mother called me. This was quite unusual because my mother rarely calls me. But I didn't answer the phone because I was busy teaching. Mom sent me a message but I was too busy to read it. On Monday my brother sent me a message asking if I would come home.”

He added:

“I asked him ‘Why do I have to come?’ And he said ‘Don't you know our uncle just passed away?’ I was in shock for a while. Then I learned that he had died of illness. This is why I am rescheduling my interview with you because I have to go home. But my family told me to keep training, just come to the funeral. I returned home this morning to attend the funeral and come back to the gym in the evening.”

There’s no clear way of knowing if Superlek has come to full terms with his uncle’s passing. Nevertheless, he seems ready to spoil Takeru’s promotional debut in Japan.

ONE 165 is available live on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.

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Superlek dedicates world title defense to late uncle

In the same ONE Championship interview, Superlek recalled in detail how his uncle Pom Iamsiri was a constant presence throughout his career.

Superlek said his uncle didn’t just support him in his fights, but would also cheer on his Kiatmoo9 teammates during their matches as well.

Although Superlek remained focused on his training camp, he admitted he would dedicate his world title defense to his uncle.

“My uncle’s death didn’t affect my preparation because I am a person who can separate personal matters from training. I believe my uncle will be watching my fight from above. He will wait to see my success up there.”