"She's one of the best" - Johan Ghazali sees Smilla Sundell defending gold with trademark performance vs Natalia Diachkova
Smilla Sundell will come out on top in her world title matchup against Natalia Diachkova. That is Johan Ghazali's prediction for the headliner showdown at ONE Fight Night 22 this Friday, May 3.
The teenage sensation puts her ONE strawweight Muay Thai world title on the line against the Russian dynamo inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in what is shaping up as an all-out war between two of the most in-form strikers on the promotion's roster.
'The Hurricane' has gone 4-0 against more experienced foes throughout her tenure. Most recently, she dished out another striking clinic to fend off a spirited Allycia Hellen Rodrigues at ONE Fight Night 14 last September.
Judging from that win and each other time she left the Circle with her hand raised, the Malaysian-American teen phenom sees the 19-year-old's second world title assignment sharing a similar plot.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda MMA, Johan Ghazali noted:
"I expect Smilla Sundell to defend her world title. She's one of the best, maybe the best young stars in the promotion. Her last fight against Allycia [Hellen Rodrigues] showed just why. So I expect another one of those performances from her."
Standing in the way of the divisional queen is highly regarded ONE Friday Fights prospect, Diachkova.
Like Johan Ghazali, the Team Mehdi Zatout star made the most of every appearance on the promotion's weekly offering inside the Mecca of Muay Thai.
Over 12 months, 'Karelian Lynx' delivered one highlight reel after another to secure her shot at Muay Thai's most prized possession today.
ONE Fight Night 22 will be free to all active Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. The event broadcasts live in U.S. primetime this Friday, May 3.
Johan Ghazali meets Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat at ONE 167
While Diachkova makes her American primetime debut this week, Johan Ghazali is already set for his second such contest at ONE 167 on June 7.
The 18-year-old squares off against Vietnamese veteran Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat.
In his main stage debut, the Sarawak-based fighter knocked out former ONE world title challenger Edgar Tabares in 36 seconds.
He hopes to reel another finish inside the Impact Arena to position himself closer to the upper echelons of the flyweight Muay Thai ranks.