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The highly-anticipated megafight between Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Superlek Kiatmoo9 certainly lived up to the hype and more, but it was somehow dampened by the latter’s inability to make weight.
After all, the Muay Thai fight of the century was supposed to go for five full rounds instead of just three. Plus, ‘The Kicking Machine’ could have been a two-sport world champion by now if only he made the obligatory 135-pound limit.
Superlek scored the biggest win of his decorated career, beating his good friend and compatriot Rodtang by unanimous decision in the main event of the historic ONE Friday Fights 34 over the weekend.
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In the aftermath of the gargantuan showdown at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Chatri Sityodtong addressed the elephant in the room, mainly the ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion’s failure to meet the demands of scales.
The ONE Chairman and CEO told Nic Atkin of the South China Morning Post:
“For sure. I mean, he’s missed weight three times now. It’s because he’s cutting weight wrong. He’s using the old system of just dehydrating yourself, right? As opposed to descending by a proper diet, he doesn’t have a nutritionist. So he’s just doing everything wrong. I want to pull him aside and say to do it right, so that he can continue professionally.”
Superlek is considered one of the pound-for-pound best pure strikers in the world today, which he proved by outclassing ‘The Iron Man’. Then again, missing weight for the second straight time, and third overall under the Singapore-based promotion, is indeed a dark blot in his otherwise distinguished resume.
As Sityodtong suggested, the Thai star is still following antiquated weight-cutting techniques, which ONE has already abolished through its innovative hydration protocols.
The ONE head honcho added:
“He’s never missed weight this many times ever in his career. He's a professional but, it’s just that he doesn’t understand the hydration system and all that. So it has made it difficult. He has no clue what he’s doing for nutrition.”
The full replay of ONE Friday Fights 34 is available on ONE Championship’s official YouTube channel.
Watch Chatri Sityodtong’s full SCMP MMA interview here:
