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Russian Muay Thai superstar and ONE Championship fighter Tagir Khalilov will be headlining a fight card for the first time at ONE Fight Night 12. Locking horns with him will be ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 in a three-round Muay Thai bout that can possibly spell the future of the division's world title picture.
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With Superlek seemingly intent on capturing his division's Muay Thai belt, Tagir Khalilov will have to bring his A-game and more come July 14th. However, if anyone can negate the power and skill of 'The Kicking Machine,' it's 'Samingpri.'
Speaking to ONE Championship, Tagir Khalilov boldly proclaimed his mindset coming into his clash with the world champion:
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"I’m confident I can defeat Superlek. I’m at the peak of my career, and I’m very charged, both physically and mentally. I’m ready to win."
'Samingpri' is one of the few foreign fighters in the promotion who found immense success against traditional Thai fighters. His most recent victories include dominant wins over Chorfah Tor Sangtiennoi and Black Panther.
He also famously pushed ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon to the limit but ultimately lost a razor-close decision in a kickboxing match in 2021. This time, the 30-year-old Russian standout will have another Thai ONE world champion in his crosshairs.
On his reputation of overcoming Thai fighters, Tagir Khalilov told ONE:
“If I win, my reputation as ‘The Thai Killer’ will be reinforced even more. I’m ready to shock the world.”
Having the title "The Thai Killer" sounds quite nice for any foreign fighter. If he makes good on his promise, Khalilov might join the ranks of other Farangs like the legendary Ramon 'The Diamond' Dekkers and current ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Jonathan 'The General' Haggerty.
ONE Fight Night 12 goes down at the iconic Luminee Boxing Stadium and will air live and for free to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
