'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It's been seven months since reigning ONE strawweight Muay Thai world champion Smilla Sundell successfully defended her golden strap at ONE Fight Night 14 in September 2023 against the challenge of ONE atomweight Muay Thai world champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues.
Since then, she has been waiting for another challenger for her throne.
Enter Natalia Diachkova, who will be challenging Smilla Sundell for the world title on May 3 in the main event of ONE Fight Night 22 inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Ahead of 'The Hurricane's' highly anticipated comeback inside the ring, her Fairtex Training Center teammate Jihin Radzuan, shared a few insights about Sundell's preparation for the match.
Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA recently, Radzuan claimed that the 19-year-old Swedish phenom has been putting in the work at the gym to assure that she will be in peak form when she faces the Russian challenger.
'Shadow Cat' said:
"She's been training really hard, and she's been waiting for this shot for a while. And this eagerness or excitement will show when she returns."
Both Sundell and Diachkova are riding a four-fight win streak in ONE Championship since making their respective promotional debuts, with the former also beating the likes of Diandra Martin, Jackie Buntan, and Milana Bjelogrlic.
Meanwhile, 'Karelian Lynx' swept all her ONE Friday Fights assignments by scoring victories over Dokmaipa Fairtex, Lena Nocker, Hannah Brady, and Chelline Chirino.
Jihin Radzuan also said Smilla Sundell is pushing herself to the limit in training
Knowing the tough challenge ahead of her, Sundell has been pushing herself to the limit, as Radzuan claimed in another recent interview. The Malaysian MMA contender sees her teammate defending her championship belt for the second time in a row.
Catch Smilla Sundell and Natalia Diachkova throw hands in the headliner of ONE Fight Night 22, as it is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America in U.S. primetime on May 3.
