"She will use it very well" - Jihin Radzuan says Smilla Sundell will put her reach advantage to good use vs Natalia Diachkova
Any opponent that comes up against Smilla Sundell is going to have one very difficult puzzle to try and solve.
Beating the divisional queen is one thing, but getting inside her range to land significant strikes is a hurdle that many have struggled to fully get over.
In the next defense of her ONE strawweight Muay Thai world championship, Smilla Sundell will face off with surging contender, Natalia Diachkova.
The aggression the Russian fighter embodies has been clear to see in her prior performances under the ONE Championship banner, but she will need to fight smart if she is going to negate the size difference between her and her opponent.
Fellow Fairtex Training Center athlete Jihin Radzuan believes that this will be the key for her teammate to defend the strawweight title at ONE Fight Night 22.
She told Sportskeeda MMA that she expects Sundell to utilize her range throughout the fight and cause her challenger all kinds of issues:
"Both of them have very heavy hands. Smilla, however, has the reach advantage and I think she will use it very well against Natalia wherever they clash."
Smilla Sundell is a nightmare match-up for anyone
Unfortunately for Diachkova, getting past the range of Smilla Sundell is just one part of what it takes to try and dethrone the champion.
For all of her reach and boxing skills, to beat the champion, you have to try and match her pace - something that is easier said than done.
Her previous fights with the likes of Jackie Buntan and Allycia Hellen Rodrigues showed that having a good round against the champion is not enough if you can't maintain that over five rounds.
Smilla Sundell is a championship fighter and she only appears to get stronger the longer the fight goes thanks to her incredible gas tank.
Diachkova will need to get on the inside of Sundell and do it time and time again if she is going to win this fight.
ONE Fight Night 22 will air live from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on May 3 in U.S. primetime for North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.