"I felt like sh*t" - Teen phenom Smilla Sundell admits she hit the lowest of lows after losing gold on the scales
It's hard for Smilla Sundell to look back at her turbulent ONE Fight Night 22 fight week without a little bit of regret and disappointment.
'The Hurricane' lost her ONE strawweight Muay Thai world title on the scales after weighing in 1.5 pounds over the 125-pound limit. Though she passed hydration for her clash against Natalia Diachkova with ease, the athlete failed to meet the division's limit after another try.
Still, although she was handed one of the toughest moments in her otherwise smooth journey on the global stage, 'The Hurricane' remains thankful for the steadfast support that came her way just before she returned to action inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Speaking on the incident on her official YouTube channel, Smilla Sundell recalled:
"I feel like sh*t. I was very very down. But thankfully, I also had a lot of support from everyone on social media. Many people reached out to me and that's really helped me."
Watch the video here:
Despite being handed a major blow just a couple of days out from what would have been her second ONE strawweight Muay Thai world title defense, 'The Hurricane' came dialed in, both mentally and physically, on fight night.
Though Diachkova, the only eligible fighter to win the coveted 26 pounds of gold, appeared to be the more successful fighter early on, a moment of brilliance in the dying seconds of the second canto was all the Swedish phenom needed to pull away with a remarkable come-from-behind win.
A hard right cross, a shovel hook, and a final set of strikes eventually prompted referee Olivier Coste to stop the fight at 2:59 of the round, which pushed Smilla Sundell's overall record to 36-5 - including a pristine 5-0 mark in ONE.
North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can replay the entire ONE Fight Night 22 card for free.
Smilla Sundelll wants another run at strawweight gold
Smilla Sundell may have her radar locked on a move to the flyweight Muay Thai division, but she isn't ready to relinquish her role as one of the top athletes in her current division.
Per the Swedish phenom, she is ready to make another run at the strawweight gold before she seeks greener pastures in a weight bracket more suitable for her growing frame.
Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA separately, the Fairtex Training Center affiliate shared:
"I don't think it'll be the final one in strawweight. But I do want the flyweight division because I'll be better at that weight. But I still want this belt."