"I’m on it now" - Teenage phenom Smilla Sundell glad to see Natalia Diachkova’s willingness to trade fire with her
Reigning ONE strawweight Muay Thai world champion Smilla Sundell can't wait to throw hands with Russian knockout artist Natalia Diachkova.
Returning to the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on Friday, May 3, 'The Hurricane' will put her 26 pounds of gold on the line against a fast-rising star in the division who has dispatched three of her last four opponents with a series of highlight-reel-worthy knockouts.
Speaking with ONE Championship ahead of her latest ONE world title defense, Smilla Sundell revealed that she had struggled to stay focused without an opponent. Now that she knows who will be standing across from her come fight night, she's locked in and ready to make it five straight on martial arts' biggest global stage.
“It’s very hard to focus when you don’t have a person in mind," Sundell said. "So it’s been hard to focus, but I’m on it now. I need a name to focus on.”
Smilla Sundell vs. Natalia Diachkova will be a battle between two of ONE's best female Muay Thai stars
Smilla Sundell and Natalia Diachkova step into the Mecca of Muay Thai with identical 4-0 records and six stellar finishes between them.
After putting together a string of victories against Diandra Martin, Jackie Buntan, and Milana Bjelogrlic, the Swedish teen phenom scored her most impressive victory yet, taking down current ONE atomweight Muay Thai queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues with a third-round flurry at ONE Fight Night 14 in September.
The win kept her 'O' intact and established her as perhaps the best female Muay Thai fighter in all of ONE.
Making her mark in ONE Championship, Natalia Diachkova stormed onto the scene in April 2023, earning a first-round KO against Dokmaipa Fairtex at ONE Friday Fights 13. Less than two months later, she delivered a repeat performance against Lena Nocker.
Adding a unanimous decision W over Hannah Brady and another sensational knockout against Chellina Chirino, the 'Karelian Lynx' more than proved herself ready for a shot at Sundell's strawweight Muay Thai crown.
Who leaves The Land of Smiles with the gold on May 3?
ONE Championship fans in the United States can watch ONE Fight Night 22 live and for free via Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime.