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Superlek Kiatmoo9 believed that he had a point to prove at ONE 165, and he certainly did just that with his performance against Takeru Segawa in the main event.
The ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion defended his title in style despite being a replacement opponent for the injured Rodtang Jitmuangnon.
‘The Kicking Machine’ has long been considered to be one of the best in the world but he doesn’t believe that he gets the same amount of credit as the likes of ‘The Iron Man’ and his opponent this past weekend.
His performance inside the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, proved to anyone who didn’t know yet that he is undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the world today.
During his post-fight interview with Sportskeeda MMA, the champ referenced this disparity and thanked ONE Championship and his opponent for the opportunity to take on one of the most highly regarded competitors in the world:
“Yeah, I don't really know how to say this one but, you know, he's pound-for-pound one of the best in the world. I'm a nobody, like, I'm not even ranked pound-for-pound in the world. But I must say it's just an honor taking out Takeru on such a big occasion.”
Watch the full post-fight interview below:
Superlek left no doubts at ONE 165
For fans of Superlek who shared his mentality that he doesn’t get the credit and the same kind of pedestal as some other strikers out there in the world, he was the best-kept secret in kickboxing.
Back-to-back wins over Rodtang and Takeru is sure to completely dispel that, with ‘The Kicking Machine’ now getting the credit and acclaim that he has long deserved.
He might still not be the superstar that his two former foes are thanks to their huge fanbases, but when it comes to the best, there is only space for one at the top spot.
Fans who missed out on any of the action from ONE 165 can watch the event back via the on-demand PPV on ONE Championship’s website.
ONE Championship’s next huge event is coming at fans thick and fast, with ONE Fight Night 19 scheduled for February 16. The event will air live and free in US primetime for North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.
