"She was my first idol in the sport" - Smilla Sundell reveals admiration for atomweight kickboxing champ Phetjeeja
Reigning ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world champion Smilla Sundell admits she got starstruck when she first saw Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom in action.
Long before she became the undisputed ONE atomweight kickboxing world titleholder, 'The Queen' already developed a killer reputation in Thailand's unforgiving Muay Thai circuit.
Phetjeeja even caught the fancy of Sundell, who at the time was still carving her own path in 'The Art of Eight Limbs'.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, the Swedish star recalled her early days in Thailand and being mesmerized by Phetjeeja's otherworldly fighting skills.
'The Hurricane' revealed:
"She's very good. She was actually my first idol in the sport because I watched her on Thai fights in Samui when my family and I moved to Thailand. That was the first time I really saw a big show live and me and my family were like, 'Whoa, she's good!"
Watch Smilla Sundell's full SCMP interview:
At just 21 years old, Phetjeeja is considered one of Muay Thai's youngest veterans with her absurd 206-8 career record.
Her early Thai moniker even translated to " the girl who could beat boys" considering she routinely defeated the opposite gender during her rampage.
By the looks of it, Sundell was inspired by her fellow ONE world champion and used that motivation to fulfill her own destiny in Muay Thai.
Smilla Sundell admits she still gets nervous each time she fights
The towering Smilla Sundell is such a remarkable warrior that people tend to forget she's only 19. As such, 'The Hurricane' revealed it's always a nerve-wracking experience for her each time she steps on ONE's global stage.
The Swedish phenom told Madz Carson in an interview ahead of her upcoming world title defense against Russia's Natalia Diachkova:
“I am very nervous before entering the ring but I’m also excited”
Sundell and Diachkova's five-round slugfest will headline ONE Fight Night 22 on May 3 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
North American Prime Video subscribers can watch the full event live on US Primetime free of charge.