Buakaw says all-out attack Superlek is a menacing presence: "He looked so intimidating"

Like the rest of the watching world, Muay Thai and kickboxing legend Buakaw Banchamek watched in awe as two of the sport’s biggest names in modern-day history crossed paths in the main event of ONE Friday Fights 34 last month.

For years, even before both athletes penned a deal with ONE Championship, striking fans have been dreaming at the prospect of seeing a slugfest between certified hard-hitter Rodtang Jitmuangnon and a man of equal caliber, Superlek Kiatmuu9.

That day arrived on September 22 in a venue only fitting for a fight of that merit to unfold – Bangkok’s world-renowned Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. Of course, it didn’t disappoint one bit.

For three rounds, both ONE world champions caught each other with their best shots, slamming combinations and kicks with even the risk of having their lights turned out. By the end of the nine-minute war, Superlek left the ring victorious against the toughest assignment of his career to date.

While a fraction of fans think otherwise due to Rodtang’s forward pressure and volume, Buakaw feels that ‘The Kicking Machine’ did enough to fluster ‘The Iron Man’ as the match progressed.

Breaking down the monumental fight in a recent video on his YouTube channel, the multi-time kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion sang his praise for the ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion for his near-perfect performance.

Buakaw shared:

"Superlek was stepping up his game and landed some really good punches. He was really dominant. He looked so intimidating when he was marching forward like that. Really powerful guy."

Watch the video here:

With a decorated resume accumulated over the past 25 years, Buakaw has an eye for talent. And he sees just that in Superlek and Rodtang, two athletes he has paid close attention to since the start of their careers.

Fans eager to relive the epic firefight can do so by tuning in to the ONE Friday Fights 34 replay on ONE Championship’s YouTube channel or via the ONE Super App.