‘He Is A Good Role Model’ – Superlek Kiatmoo9 Following Path Of Legendary Mentor Saenchai
Reigning ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 is paving his own path to greatness, but he’s doing it with the help of a striking icon.
As “The Kicking Machine” prepares to defend his crown against Rodtang Jitmuangnon in the main event of ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video, he’ll be leaning on the mentorship of Muay Thai legend Saenchai – a man universally acknowledged as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
When Superlek enters the Circle at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, March 24, he’ll need every bit of support he can get if he is to overcome the challenge from in-form ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang.
However, with over 300 career victories and a seemingly endless list of accomplishments, Saenchai is well-equipped to guide the 27-year-old titleholder through the biggest fight of his life against “The Iron Man.”
Recalling how his relationship with the Muay Thai superstar started, Superlek said:
“Back then, Saenchai was practicing at Yokkao gym. And my friends, Singdam and Fasai, usually went to train there, too. So, whenever I have a fight, I would come to this gym to get help from them for preparation. I met Saenchai there. After that, we spent more and more time together until we became close as brothers.”
Like any other fan of Muay Thai, Superlek remembers being blown away by Saenchai’s fearless and wildly entertaining approach to fighting before they became friends.
Often facing fighters much bigger than him, the 42-year-old earned a reputation for being able to toy with his opponents despite the size difference.
“The Kicking Machine” said:
“He is a legend. I knew of him and saw him fight since I moved to Bangkok when I was still young. He can take out many big fighters in higher weight classes. He could fight someone several pounds heavier than him, and that impressed me a lot.”
Today, the Kiatmoo9 Gym standout learns directly from his mentor’s example.
While fans around the world are likely familiar with Saenchai’s fun, joking personality, they don’t get to see the amount of disciplined work the legend puts in every day.
Widely regarded as one of the planet’s top pound-for-pound strikers in his own right, Superlek has and will continue to follow the lead set by the Thai hero.
He said:
“He always shows younger fighters what it is like to be a responsible person both in training and in life. He usually takes action to be a role model rather than preaching.
“He is a very disciplined athlete. He always reminds us not to stay up late. At ten o’clock, he reminds everyone to go to sleep. He lives a simple life. He is a good role model for us.”
Superlek Kiatmoo9 Hopes To Spread Muay Thai Around The World
More than just maintaining strict discipline in the training room, Superlek Kiatmoo9 hopes to follow Saenchai’s example by becoming an international superstar just like him.
“The Kicking Machine” recently visited America with Saenchai, teaching Muay Thai to avid students around the country, and that experience showed him how to be a more engaging teacher.
Superlek explained:
“We did a seminar tour across the U.S. for 30 days. Saenchai is a good teacher. I learned a lot from him. He showed students all of what he actually did in his fights. And I learned how to teach others from him as well. I gained a lot of experience from that.”
Outside of defending his ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title, Superlek has other major aspirations.
Inspired by Saenchai and his global fame, the flyweight kickboxing king envisions a future where he travels the world to teach Muay Thai to throngs of adoring fans.
Superlek said:
“I want to go around the world like him. I would like to spread Muay Thai to the world. We got a warm welcome from the American fans. I was overjoyed when I heard their applause.”
