“I know my plan” - Superlek highlights his fast finish over Jonathan Haggerty
Newly minted double ONE world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 had a well-thought-out game plan in his recent title fight. He stuck with it, and it all made the difference.
'The Kicking Machine,' already the flyweight kickboxing king, added the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title. He made short work of erstwhile divisional king Jonathan Haggerty at ONE 168 in Denver, Colorado, U.S.A., on Friday, September 6.
The Thai superstar scored a solid elbow to the head of 'The General' in the opening minute of the first round. The Englishman could not recover from that and slumped to a KO defeat.
Superlek spoke about his quick finish during the in-Circle interview following his win, underscoring that it all fell within their game plan.
"First of all, no doubt about it, Haggerty is absolutely incredible. However, I know my plan. I saw the opening, and I knew when Haggerty is about to throw the cross. I caught the elbow in and got the knockout," he said.
The win at ONE 168 extended Superlek's winning streak in ONE Championship to 11 straight and 13 in a row overall.
Haggerty, meanwhile, lost the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai belt he won in April last year after only one successful title defense. He, however, is still a ONE world champion with the bantamweight kickboxing gold in his possession.
Replay of the ONE 168: Denver matches is available on ONE Championship's YouTube page.
Nico Carrillo could be next for Superlek in bantamweight Muay Thai
Superlek Kiatmoo9's next path in the bantamweight Muay Thai lane remains to be seen but a looming next opponent could be Nico Carrillo of Scotland.
The 'King of the North," the No. 1 contender in the bantamweight Muay Thai division and undefeated in four fights in ONE, has long sought a world title match against Haggerty. But with Superlek dethroning 'The General' at ONE 168: Denver on Sept. 6, focus is not being channeled to his defense of the belt against Carrillo.
Interestingly, Carrillo has high regard for the Thai superstar, who he saw defeating Haggerty in their title match.
He told Sky Sports MMA Club in an interview:
"In my opinion, Superlek is the best striker in the world ... So yeah, this fight could go either way. But the only thing I think that would side Haggerty would be his size."
There is no word yet on when a possible title clash between Superlek and Carrillo would take place but given their aggressive fighting style, it is something that fans should look forward to.