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Smilla Sundell has evolved into a force to be reckoned with on the global stage of ONE Championship, and she's ready to continue developing into a true superstar when she returns at ONE Fight Night 22.
'The Hurricane' steps inside the Circle to defend her ONE strawweight Muay Thai crown against in-form Russian dynamo Natalia Diachkova in the main event of the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium offering in U.S. primetime on May 3.
Thus far, the world's largest martial arts organization has provided the 19-year-old athlete one elite test after another. Needless to say, she's passed all of it with relative ease.
In her debut, Smilla Sundell, then only 17, announced her arrival with a blistering performance to see off Australia's Diandra Martin in round three.
The Fairtex Training Center affiliate went to work from the sound of the bell, punishing her more experienced compatriot with jabs, combinations, and picturesque roundhouse kicks on her way to a dream debut inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
That performance saw her secure a five-round scrap against Jackie Buntan for the inaugural ONE strawweight Muay Thai world championship, which went down at ONE 156 in April 2022.
'The Hurricane' once again lived up to her moniker in her sophomore outing. However, it was anything but an easy fight for the Pattaya-based fighter as Buntan came prepared to throw down inside 'The Lion City.'
Still, the Filipino-American's experience and hard-hitting weapons failed to strike fear in Smilla Sundell, who connected with the more decisive shots throughout the encounter to gain a well-deserved unanimous decision triumph.
After the pair of victories in 'The Art of Eight Limbs,' the ONE world champion decided to have a go under kickboxing rules and follow in the footsteps of close friend and three-sport queen Stamp Fairtex.
Yet again, her scintillating striking arsenal proved too much against a fighter with years of experience and fights under her belt.
Smilla Sundell's striking clinic outclasses Allycia Hellen Rodrigues
With a 3-0 run in the promotion and a status as one of the hottest stars within the martial arts realm, tough tests were near-inevitable for the towering teenage superstar.
After Buntan withdrew from their long-awaited world title rematch, atomweight Muay Thai queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues stepped up to challenge the seemingly unstoppable Swede phenom at ONE Fight Night 14 in September 2023.
While many expected a close fight between the two starring ONE world champions, Smilla Sundell reminded everyone why she's arguably at the pinnacle of her powers as she finished the Brazilian mum-champ in the dying seconds of round three to end 2023 at the top of the world.
She'll have another chance to do that against Natalia Diachkova in the main event of ONE Fight Night 22 in Bangkok, Thailand.
North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire card live and for free in U.S. primetime on May 3.
