"I don't want to think about the future" - Natalia Diachkova not looking past Smilla Sundell test at ONE Fight Night 22
Natalia Diachkova knows that she could potentially pull off the biggest win of her career in the main event of ONE Fight Night 22.
However, despite what winning her next bout could mean for her career, she isn't looking to get carried away with what awaits her on the other side of this fight.
The challenger is completely focused on the task at hand and that's fighting Smilla Sundell with the ONE strawweight Muay Thai world championship.
Diachkova is still eligible to win the title despite Sundell losing her belt on the scales after missing weight so there's no change of approach for the challenger.
Extending her winning streak under the ONE Championship banner and becoming a world champion would be a massive step up for the Russian competitor.
But before she can get carried away with what this fight could mean, she has to concentrate on bringing the best version of herself to Lumpinee Stadium on May 3.
Diachkova told the South China Morning Post in a recent interview on fight week that the present is all that matters to her right now:
"This coming fight is the most important thing that's happening to me. I don't want to think about the future or things that may [or may not] happen."
Watch the full interview below:
All Natalia Diachkova can do is bring her A-game on fight night
Competing in the main event of ONE Fight Night 22 is obviously something that Natalia Diachkova is grateful for but as a competitor, there is no time to step and smell the flowers until her fight has been and gone.
This huge opportunity doesn't mean nearly as much if she isn't able to give a good account of herself on fight night in trying to leave Lumpinee with the strawweight gold wrapped around her waist.
Defeating a world-class striker like Smilla Sundell is no easy task, and that's exactly why Natalia Diachkova isn't looking ahead to the future.
She will need to be on top of her game come May 3 and until the final bell rings, this is her one and only focus right now.
ONE Fight Night 22 will air live and free in U.S. primetime for North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.