‘The Belt Will Still Be Mine’ – Superlek Hopes To Dispatch Williams, Schedule New Date With Rodtang
Although Thai superstar Superlek Kiatmoo9 is disappointed that his clash with Rodtang Jitmuangnon will not take place at ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video, he hopes their paths will cross in the future.
The ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion will now defend his gold against “Mini T” Danial Williams this Friday at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, and while he’s glad to remain on the card, Rodtang is still his top target.
In fact, a potential future matchup with “The Iron Man” is motivating Superlek to defend his World Title so they can reschedule their bout soon.
“The Kicking Machine” said:
“To be honest, I’m disappointed I’m not fighting with Rodtang. I’ve always wanted to fight him. If he recovers and I still have this belt, I’m sure we will have a chance to fight each other again.”
For his part, Williams did not think twice about stepping up to battle Superlek.
He was initially booked to face Rui Botelho in a strawweight Muay Thai bout at ONE Fight Night 8 and is embracing his unexpected World Title challenge.
Moreover, “Mini T” says he enjoys being the underdog and believes Superlek will be feeling more pressure in their main event showdown – something the reigning king actually agrees with.
Superlek offered:
“I admit that I feel the pressure is on me because I’ve prepared a game plan for Rodtang. What I can do with the limited time is rewatch Danial’s fights over and over to cook up a plan for him. I have to change my style to handle him. And as a champ, it makes me feel twice the pressure.
“He comes to my world, and I am equipped with all the advantages over him. It seems advantageous for me, but at the same time, that brings a certain pressure. It would be a shame if I make any mistake and lose to him. So, making a mistake is not an option for me in this fight.”
Superlek Not Underestimating ‘Dangerous’ Danial Williams
While Danial Williams has the odds stacked against him in this ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title bout, Superlek Kiatmoo9 knows the Australian-Thai striker should not be overlooked.
“Mini T” pushed Rodtang Jitmuangnon to the limit in their 2021 Fight of the Year, and Superlek went straight to that match to research his new challenger.
He said:
“Once I knew that Danial would be my new opponent, I watched his fight with Rodtang right away, and I found that he’s a dangerous fighter with good punches. His punches are so accurate.
“In my opinion, Danial’s style and Rodtang’s style are quite similar. They have good step-in and step-out movements. He is not shy to trade weapons. I have to watch out for his punches. But I’m not too worried because he has a similar style to Rodtang.”
Of course, the World Champion has to be ready for all comers and believes in his ability to retain the gold.
There are enough similarities between Williams and Rodtang for Sueprlek to use in his preparations, and given his vast experience at the top level, he also knows he can make the necessary adjustments in the Circle.
The 27-year-old added:
“After a quick study on Danial, I have to change my game plan from being more defensive to offensive. I’m bigger and have a longer reach. Also, Danial is not as aggressive as Rodtang. I think I will get the upper hand if I walk toward him and make sure to not give him a chance to get close to me.
“Although I have to change all my plans, I’m confident the belt will still be mine. I will throw everything I’ve prepared for Rodtang at him instead.”
