"Excited to get back in the ring" - Smilla Sundell can't wait for world title defense vs. Natalia Diachkova on May 3

Smilla Sundell can't contain her excitement as she opens her account this year at ONE Fight Night 22 on May 3.

The Swedish powerhouse puts her gold on the line against Russian dynamo Natalia Diachkova in the main event of the bill, which emanates live from Bangkok's Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

This will mark her fifth appearance under the ONE spotlight, and she's all ready to leave another lasting impression in the Thai capital city against one of the division's most in-form challengers.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post last week, the ONE strawweight Muay Thai world champion shared:

"I am very excited to fight again. It's been like eight months now or something. So yeah, I'm excited to get back in the ring."

Watch the full interview here:

In her last outing, the Fairtex Training Center affiliate competed in her first all-champion showdown on the global stage against atomweight Muay Thai ruler Allycia Hellen Rodrigues.

However, what was expected to be a tough test proved to be another dominant outing in favor of the five-foot-eight divisional queen at ONE Fight Night 14.

The 19-year-old tagged the Brazilian mom-champ with stiffening jabs from range and utilized her elbows and knees to perfection when things got messy in proximity.

Eventually, with just two seconds left in the third stanza, Smilla Sundell unleashed another shower of knees, elbows, and punches to secure a second highlight-reel finish in ONE Championship.

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Smilla Sundell admits nerves still get the better of her

Though eagerly anticipating her latest world title assignment, Smilla Sundell says she still struggles to brush off any butterflies in her stomach before each fight.

In a separate interview with Diaz Combat Sports at Fairtex Training Center, the teenage phenom revealed:

"I am very nervous before entering the ring but I'm also excited."

Her performances suggest otherwise, though.

Smilla Sundell has continued to grow as an athlete in the world's largest martial arts organization, and she seems every bit confident in all of her past four outings since debuting against Diandra Martin in February 2022.

North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire ONE Fight Night 22 card live and for free in U.S. primetime on Friday, May 3.