Superlek on his match-winning elbow vs. Jonathan Haggerty: “I was just waiting for the opportunity to hit him”
Going into his ONE 168: Denver scrap with Jonathan Haggerty, Superlek knew catching 'The General' with an elbow may be his best path to victory.
Already reigning as the ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion, 'The Kicking Machine' had his sights set on leaving Ball Arena in The Mile High City with another 26 pounds of gold wrapped around his waist.
In the end, it took Superlek less than a minute to accomplish his goal, catching Haggerty with a slick elbow strike that put the Brit on the canvas. Unable to answer the 10-count, the bout was stopped and the Thai was crowned the new ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion.
Appearing at the post-fight press conference shortly after his highlight-reel knockout, Superlek revealed that he had spent time training the exact maneuver that led to his victory in The Centennial State:
"This is actually something I trained for. I know that when you use an elbow, the elbow would get there before the cross, so I was just waiting for the opportunity to hit him with the elbow because I know Haggerty got a very strong cross."
Check out Superlek's comments below:
Superlek solidifies his spot as a P4P great with the win over Jonathan Haggerty
Looking back over the last 12 months, it's safe to say that Superlek has had one of the most impressive runs in all of combat sports.
Last September, 'The Kicking Machine' shocked the world with a stunning unanimous decision victory over Rodtang Jitmuangnon at ONE Friday Fights 34. He then followed that up with a dominant five-round performance against Japanese kickboxing legend Takeru Segawa at ONE 165: Tokyo.
Now adding wins over Thai prospect Kongthoranee Sor Sommai and Jonathan Haggerty in his last two outings, Superlek has undoubtedly secured a spot atop the pound-for-pound list.
The only question that remains is, what's next for the Thai superstar now that he reigns over not one, but two elite divisions?
If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE 168: Denver replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.