Rodtang out and replaced by Danial Williams to fight Superlek for flyweight kickboxing gold

In an unfortunate turn of events, ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek will no longer face Rodtang Jitmuangnon in the main event of ONE Fight Night 8.

Scheduled for March 24, the clash between two of the top strikers on the planet was set to finally give the fans a dream match-up between two world champions.

ONE Championship had the difficult task of announcing to the fans that Rodtang Jitmuangnon had suffered an injury in training and therefore would not be competing at the event.

Stepping into the main event in place of Rodtang will be Danial Williams, a former foe of 'The Iron Man'.

‘Mini T’ was scheduled to return to his striking roots this weekend by facing Portugal’s Rui Botelho in a Muay Thai contest. The Aussie fighter announced himself to ONE Championship fans with his striking contest against Rodtang but has since competed in MMA.

Whilst it may not be the fight that fans were eagerly anticipating, Danial Williams has proven multiple times that when he’s put under the lights, he’ll put on a show.

‘The Kicking Machine’ may have been looking forward to testing his skills against a fellow titleholder, but there can be no denying that by staying on the card, Superlek Kiamtoo9 has a great opportunity to make a statement in the first defense of his kickboxing crown.

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Superlek recalls car ride home after winning kickboxing world title

After ONE Fight Night 6, where he claimed the vacant world championship, Superlek Kiatmoo9 has been preparing for the first defense of his flyweight kickboxing world championship.

After his opponent Rodtang Jitmuangnon was forced to pull out of the fight, Danial Williams stepped in on late notice, giving ‘The Kicking Machine’ the chance to still compete.

The Thai champion has been in great form in his recent fights as proven by his decision win against Spain’s Daniel Puertas in January to become the world champion.

He was originally scheduled to face off with Ilias Ennahachi for the title but Ennahachi chose to vacate his crown ahead of the contest due to concerns that he would not be able to make the weight limit.

Ahead of ONE Fight Night 8 on March 24, Superlek reflected on the night that he became the flyweight kickboxing world champion. In an interview with ONE Championship, he said:

“When I became the world champion, I was overwhelmed. It was like a dream come true. That moment I was so happy that I was speechless. You can see I kept silent. I didn’t have much expression. I sat in the car on the way home without saying a word.”

Superlek added:

“My wife asked me, ‘Aren't you happy?’ I told her I have a lot on my mind – something like, ‘Now I’m a champion. How can I keep this title as long as possible?’ I felt a little pressure. I felt real happiness only on the next day when my family, friends, teammates, and neighbors in my hometown joined me to celebrate.”

ONE Fight Night 8 goes down this Friday, live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The entire event will air live and for free via Prime Video for North American viewers.