Thailand’s Superlek Kiatmookao, known as the “Kicking Machine,” is setting his sights on Jonathan Haggerty’s bantamweight kickboxing title after a breathtaking 49-second knockout victory at ONE 168 in Denver.
In front of a packed crowd at Ball Arena, Superlek delivered a stunning knockout with his very first elbow strike, adding the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai belt to his trophy collection, which includes flyweight kickboxing gold. After the fight, he expressed his desire for a shot at Haggerty’s title, stating, “If there’s a chance, I’d like to fight for it.”
Haggerty had been preparing to defend his title against former ONE champions Petchtanong, Ilias Ennahachi, or Hiroki Akimoto, but he may now need to gear up for another clash with Superlek.
While Haggerty trained rigorously in Denver for a month, Superlek arrived in the U.S. just six days before the fight. There were concerns about whether he could handle the challenging altitude of the “Mile High City,” but he confidently remarked, “I knew I was going to finish the fight, but I didn’t think it would happen that quickly. If the fight had gone five rounds, I was definitely ready.”
Haggerty aimed to make history as the first concurrent three-sport champion in ONE Championship, but Superlek is less inclined to venture into MMA, though he is open to mixed rules fights. “I have been curious about it, and maybe in a special rules fight, we’ll see,” he said.
What seems certain is Superlek’s position as one of the top pound-for-pound strikers in ONE Championship and possibly the world. Despite this, he was humble about the recognition, asserting, “I don’t think I’m quite there yet. I still have a way to go in adapting to ONE’s rules and showcasing my exciting fighting style.”
The crowd at Ball Arena certainly welcomed Superlek with enthusiasm, particularly after his remarkable knockout of Haggerty. Although Haggerty managed to rise from the canvas and nearly answer the referee’s count, he was clearly out of it after being floored by Superlek’s powerful elbow.
While Haggerty had received significant bonuses for his knockout wins earlier in the year, Superlek was satisfied with the usual $50,000 bonus. “I think this is already plenty enough,” he said with a laugh when asked if he deserved more from ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
Credit: Bangkok Post
