“She comes out of nowhere” – Strawweight Muay Thai queen Smilla Sundell stacks high praise for dangerous Natalia Diachkova

Last weekend at ONE Fight Night 21 at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, it's been announced that 19-year-old phenom Smilla Sundell will defend her ONE strawweight Muay Thai world title against former IMFA world champion Natalia Diachkova.

The world champion and challenger were asked to grace the ring for an in-ring interview with ONE Championship commentator Mitch Chilson.

When asked what she thought of her upcoming world title challenger, 'The Hurricane' said:

“She’s very strong. She’s got very good boxing, and she comes out of nowhere with her back twists and back kicks.”

Smilla Sundell is on a 12-fight unbeaten streak with four straight wins under the ONE Championship banner. At just 17 years old, she became the youngest ONE world champion ever, beating Jackie Buntan via a unanimous decision in 2022.

Her most recent outing was a successful world title defense against fellow ONE Muay Thai queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues, who attempted to move up and become a two-division world champ.

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Natalia Diachkova says she's always been ready for Smilla Sundell

When asked what was going through her mind when she got the call to challenge Sundell for the belt, Natalia Diachkkova replied plainly:

"I was in Bangkok the next morning. So, I was ready."

Short words by the challenger, but they bear so much weight. We wouldn't be surprised if Diachkova has set her sights on 'The Hurricane' for some time now, considering they both have four straight wins in the promotion.

'Karelian Lynx' debuted in ONE last year by knocking out Smilla Sundell's teammate, Dokmaipa Fairtex. She then followed it up with another KO of Lena Nocker and a dominant decision win over Hannah Brady. Her most recent bout was another finish of Chellina Chirinno at ONE Friday FIghts 55 in March.

This bout has the making of a Fight of the Year candidate.