"My gas was low" - Superbon admits he fought through exhaustion in grueling war against rival Marat Grigorian
New interim featherweight kickboxing world champion Superbon Singha Mawynn believes his grueling five-round war of attrition against Marat Grigorian came down to who wanted it more.
After splitting their first two career encounters, two of the best 155-pound strikers on the planet settled the score in their highly entertaining trilogy at ONE Friday Fights 58 last weekend.
The iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand was treated to a world-class striking display between two modern-day gladiators who had zero quit in them.
After the full 15 minutes elapsed, Superbon emerged victorious in the judges' scorecards and reclaimed 26 pounds of gold.
However, the 33-year-old's crowning moment did not go as smoothly as planned.
The usually durable Superbon looked gassed in the championship rounds, after dealing with Grigorian's trademark forward pressure throughout the fight.
In his post-event interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Superbon admitted he had to dig deep to get the W. Plus, he figured his rival was even more exhausted than he was, and was on his last legs as well.
He said:
"Yeah, because we fought five rounds, non-stop so my gas was low. But I saw his gas was low too. He walked [forward] to me but he couldn't hit me because he had low energy too."
Watch Superbon's full interview with Nic Atkin:
Superbon's remarkable kicking game spelled the difference in Marat Grigorian trilogy
Truth be told, the third fight between Superbon and Marat Grigorian is no doubt the most closely contested one in their epic rivalry.
It appeared that the Armenian slugger got the upper hand using his pristine boxing combinations each time they fought in closed range.
However, there was no doubt that Superbon's plethora of body kicks did a number on Grigorian's arms and legs.
The Thai superstar also found a home for his perfectly-timed step-in knees, which stopped Grigorian's forward rush in the championship rounds.