Superlek motivated to beat Tagir Khalilov so he can go after Jonathan Haggerty

Reigning ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 recently threw his hat in the ring for volunteers to challenge Jonathan Haggerty.

Days before his fiery encounter with Tagir Khalilov at ONE Fight Night 12 this Friday, the Thai superstar admitted losing to the Russian will likely hurt his chances of winning the sweepstakes to face the in-demand Brit.

During his pre-event interview with the South China Morning Post, Superlek admitted that his desire to fight 'The General' is one of his main motivators in beating Khalilov:

“Because if I lose to Tagir, then it'll be less chance for me to face Jonathan Haggerty. So, I'm going to do my best in this match and we'll see what happens in the future."

While thinking one step ahead is always great, not focusing on Khalilov might end up backfiring for ‘The Kicking Machine’.

The Russian headhunter is a knockout artist of the highest order, as we’ve seen in his last two bouts against Chorfah Tor Sangtiennoi and Black Panther.

‘Samingpri’ used his elite boxing to run circles on both Thai warriors, viciously separating them from their consciousness.

Khalilov, who’s proud to carry the mantle of ‘Thai Killer’, seeks to continue that streak against the mighty Superlek.

If he does the unthinkable, then he might just skyrocket to the top of the rankings and clinch that coveted rematch with Rodtang Jitmuangnon for the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title.

As much as Superlek wants to tussle with Haggerty, he must first give Khalilov his full and undivided attention to avoid a massive upset.

ONE Fight Night 12 will air live on US Primetime on July 14. The action inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok will be broadcast free for Prime Video members in the United States and Canada.

Watch Superlek’s full interview below: