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Superlek Kiatmoo9’s latest victory had extra significance and it showed with the way he celebrated immediately after.
The Thai superstar sent heavy-hitting Russian Tagir Khalilov to a second-round technical knockout (referee stoppage) defeat in their catchweight Muay Thai clash at ONE Fight Night 12 on Prime Video on July 14 in Bangkok.
The victory came just three weeks after Superlek’s previous outing, which was why when he finished Tagir Khalilov he heaved a huge sigh of relief and egged the crowd to cheer.
Speaking during the post-fight interview, ‘The Kicking Machine’ said he wanted to put out a good performance and not disappoint the Thai fans. And when he delivered on it, he was truly happy.
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The 27-year-old Kiatmoo9 Gym standout said:
“That celebration truly came from the happiness that I felt in my heart. I was really relieved that I wasn’t a disappointment to any fans that have come to support me. I’m really happy that they are here or they’re watching on TV and they could watch me being able to defeat the opponent like that.”
Watch highlights of Superlek’s impressive finish of Tagir Khalilov in the video below:
Superlek was all over Tagir Khalilov during their showdown at ONE Fight Night 12.
He swarmed ‘Samingpri’ with powerful strikes which the latter simply had a hard time handling.
The 30-year-old Yekaterinburg native saw his bid come to end at the 1:42 mark of the second round. Unable to effectively defend himself just as his forehead was bleeding profusely from the hits it received from Superlek, the referee was forced to call a stop to the contest.
The win further fortified the No. 1-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender standing of 'The Kicking Machine,' who is also the division’s kickboxing world champion.
He hopes to become a two-sport ONE world champion at some point by taking a stab at the Muay Thai gold long held by fellow Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon.
Replay of ONE Fight Night 12 is available for free to Prime Video subscribers in North America.
