Superlek Determined To Stop ‘Thai Killer’ Tagir Khalilov And Then Take Out Jonathan Haggerty
Thai superstar Superlek Kiatmoo9 is motivated by national pride ahead of his clash with Tagir Khalilov in the main event of ONE Fight Night 12 on Prime Video.
Because when he squares off with the Russian knockout artist this Friday on home soil in Bangkok, “The Kicking Machine” will be facing a man who’s gladly embraced his reputation as “The Thai Killer.”
As the reigning ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion and #1-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender, Superlek is already feeling plenty of pressure to take out the surging Khalilov.
Plus, he’s seen “Samingpri” score two consecutive first-round knockouts against elite Thai athletes Black Panther and Chorfah Tor Sangtiennoi. With that in mind, the 27-year-old is aiming to break the streak and get the better of Khalilov’s feared boxing at the iconic Lumpinee Stadium.
Superlek told ONEFC.com:
“He knocked out both opponents with his fists. That’s his strength. But I love to fight with punchers. Plus, I think he has the determination to kill Thai fighters. But I don’t want to be his third victim. Absolutely not. Let’s see who makes a mistake first in this fight.”
With well over 130 career victories and an impressive six-fight winning streak in ONE, Superlek has faced no shortage of devastating punchers throughout his illustrious career.
The pound-for-pound striking great will undoubtedly lean on that experience in Friday’s highly anticipated showdown – and he thinks Khalilov could be in for a surprise:
“I have prepared a lot. I can see many holes in him. I have already prepared something for him. I know he is good with his punches, so I prepared something to deal with his hands. We will all see that in the ring. I still believe in myself. I believe in my hard work. Let’s see if it works there in the ring.
Superlek Explains Why He Wants Haggerty Instead Of Rodtang Next
For the second time in as many fights, Superlek Kiatmoo9 will be lacing up the 4-ounce gloves to compete in Muay Thai, and the flyweight kickboxing king has made it no secret that he intends to chase two-sport glory and a ONE Muay Thai World Title.
But because the flyweight Muay Thai division is currently ruled by Thai megastar Rodtang Jitmuangnon, “The Kicking Machine” says he’d like to hold off on a potential super-fight with his compatriot.
That would allow either man to chase dream matchups against ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty or Japanese kickboxing sensation Takeru Segawa.
In an ideal world, Superlek would like to see as many Thai athletes holding ONE World Titles as possible, so he’d rather fight a non-Thai next:
“I think my match with Rodtang will not happen soon. Like I said, I want all Thais to have the belts. Plus, Rodtang wants to fight with Haggerty and Takeru. Both of them are my ideal opponents, too. So, I think this may not be the right time for us to cross each other.
“Let Rodtang complete his goals until we run out of opponents on the list, then we will fight each other later. That’s ok. I, myself, have to defend my kickboxing belt as well. Both of us have people waiting to challenge for the belt.”
Of course, Superlek is well aware that fans around the world have been salivating over a potential showdown with Rodtang.
To those fans, he says to have patience:
“For our global fans who want to see me and Rodtang compete against each other, please wait a bit longer. I’m sure our fight will happen in the future. For now, please allow us to clear our wish lists.”
More than anything, Superlek desperately wants a fight with Haggerty – a man he defeated back in 2018.
That bout would not only offer a shot at two-sport gold, but it would also be an opportunity to avenge the loss of another legendary Thai star – former longtime bantamweight Muay Thai king Nong-O Hama, who lost his gold to “The General” earlier this year.
Superlek explained why he’s so keen on facing the British titleholder:
“I won’t say that I want to be [Haggerty’s] first challenger, but I want to test my skills with him. He’s someone powerful enough to knock out Nong-O, so I want to test his strength. I want to challenge myself as well. If he wants to fight with me in the bantamweight division, I’m ready for him anytime.”
