Superlek ONE 172 Nabil Anane: WATCH: Thai superstar Superlek Kiatmoo9 goes sniping in complete domination of Japan's Taiki Naito in Singapore

ONE bantamweight Muay Thai and flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9's May 2022 dismantling of Taiki Naito during their quarterfinal bout in the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix remains one of his best showings in ONE Championship.

Fresh off his unanimous decision defeat to then-reigning ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Ilias Ennahachi in February of the previous year, fans wondered how 'The Kicking Machine' would return to his world-beating ways.

Naito experienced every bit of Superlek's frustrations about not having dethroned Ennahachi, with the Thai great unleashing punishing elbows and knees throughout the three-round battle en route to the unanimous decision win.

Relive their three-round clash in its entirety below, which ONE posted on YouTube:

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

This victory was the first domino to fall in the Kiatmoo9 Gym affiliate's rise to superstar status, culminating in an ongoing 11-fight win streak. The crown jewel of this run is his 49-second knockout of Jonathan Haggerty this past September to become the new bantamweight Muay Thai king.

Superlek, who also holds the ONE flyweight kickboxing throne, already has his combat sports legacy cemented in the history books, but he still yearns for more.

At ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on March 23, he will face ONE interim bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nabil Anane in a world title unification match.

Superlek anticipating total war against Nabil Anane at ONE 172

Superlek knows what to expect from his unification bout with Nabil Anane at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan after having battled him before in June 2023.

The 29-year-old striker bared his expectations during the ONE 172 press conference:

"For me, Nabil is one of the toughest fighters in the bantamweight division. He is a tall fighter, and he has fast development. Nothing much to say now, see you on the fight day."

ONE 172 will be available live via pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.

About the author

Karl has been an MMA writer at Sportskeeda since 2023. He holds a Bachelor of Arts major in history, which helps him pay attention to the finer details while writing, and also has first-hand experience in boxing. He has a total experience of 5 years, and has worked for the International Business Times.

Karl turned into an MMA fan back in 2011 after watching Tito Ortiz defeat Ryan Bader via first-round submission at UFC 132. He has interviewed ONE world champions like Eduard Folayang, Joshua Pacio, Stamp Fairtex, and Tawanchai in his career so far.

On the non-MMA side of things, he interviewed WWE superstar Matt Riddle in 2021 and his question about Roman Reigns elicited an interesting answer which was widely covered by outlets like Sportskeeda and Cultaholic Wrestling's YouTube channel. He has also interviewed NBA stars Dwight Howard, Nick Young, Andre Roberson, Shabazz Muhammad, Jason Williams and Brian Scalabrine plus Filipino women's volleyball star Alyssa Valdez.

Karl ensures to double-check facts before using them in articles, and reads up on potential topics for pieces a day before. In his off time, he likes to play video games, and keep up with basketball and pro wrestling.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Harvey Leonard