"I'm really confident" - Natalia Diachkova ready for her crowning moment in primetime debut vs Smilla Sundell
ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world title challenger 'Karelian Lynx' Natalia Diachkova of Russia is ready to step into the biggest fight of her professional career, and the 29-year-old veteran is raring to seize the moment.
Diachkova is coming off four impressive performances at ONE Friday Fights and is now making her ONE Championship main roster debut against a former world champion.
Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA in a recent interview, Diachkova talked about the magnitude of her upcoming fight.
'Karelian Lynx' said:
"Yeah, I was a bit surprised. I didn't think my first fight [on U.S. primetime] was going to be a title shot. But at the same time, who is going to fight her if it's not me? I'm ready. I'm really confident. I was confident before and I'm confident now. I'm ready for the fight."
Diachkova will face former ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world champion 'The Hurricane' Smilla Sundell of Sweden in the main event ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Prime Video.
The event broadcasts live from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free on Friday, May 3rd, U.S. primetime, with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
[Update: Smilla Sundell has missed weight for ONE Fight Night 22 and has been stripped of the ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world championship. Natalia Diachkova passed weight and hydration and will still be eligible to win the belt.]
Natalia Diachkova confident of victory over Smilla Sundell: "I'm gonna win"
ONE world title challenger, Natalia Diachkova, knows the odds are against her against a phenom like Smilla Sundell. But the Russian stalwart believes in her heart that she will emerge victorious this Friday night.
Diachkova told South China Morning Post:
"As for the fight, I cannot say if I'm gonna go all the rounds with her, or if I'm gonna finish earlier. The only thing I want to do is win. And I'm gonna win. That's pretty much it."