“You can injure every part of your body” – Superlek shares why Muay Thai is far more punishing than kickboxing

When it comes to avoiding major injuries, Superlek Kiatmoo9 believes kickboxing is a much more favorable sport than Muay Thai.

On Sunday, January 28, ‘The Kicking Machine’ will return to the Circle in the ONE 165 main event. He will defend his ONE flyweight kickboxing world championship against one of the pound-for-pound greatest fighters in the history of the sport, Takeru Segawa.

After dominating K-1 for years and becoming the first and only fighter to claim titles in three different weight classes, ‘The Natural Born Crusher’ will put his skills to the test against the best in the world.

Speaking with ONE Championship ahead of his return to The Land of the Rising Sun, Superlek shared his take on the biggest difference between competing in kickboxing and Muay Thai:

“Kickboxing hurts less than Muay Thai significantly. Kickboxing uses only your fists and feet. Your biggest injury is a leg that hurts. But in Muay Thai, you can injure every part of your body.”

‘The Kicking Machine’ has established himself as a fan favorite in recent years thanks to his impeccable skills in the art of eight limbs. He’ll look to build another legacy in the world of kickboxing this Sunday against a true legend of the sport.

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All of Takeru’s accomplishments have led to his ONE debut against Superlek

Takeru Segawa makes his promotional debut seven months removed from the blockbuster announcement that he had signed with the promotion. He enters his first opportunity at a ONE Championship title with 25 knockouts from 43 career wins.

Aside from his iconic run under the K-1 banner, Takeru is a 2023 ISKA lightweight champion, a former Krush featherweight titleholder with three successful defenses, and a multi-time Shin Karate tournament winner. But as impressive as all those accomplishments are, none of them will be as big as holding 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold over his shoulder.

Will ‘The Natural Born Crusher’ score the biggest win of his career in his highly anticipated ONE debut, or will Superlek continue to reign over the flyweight kickboxing division with an iron fist?

ONE 165 airs live on Sunday, January 28, via global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.