![Superlek fighting Rui Botelho in May 2019. [Photo via: ONE Championship]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/02/6629c-17407357552073-1920.jpg)
![Superlek fighting Rui Botelho in May 2019. [Photo via: ONE Championship]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.6666666666667'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Reigning ONE bantamweight Muay Thai and flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9's superstar potential came to the forefront in May 2019 when he fought Rui Botelho in a flyweight Muay Thai bout.
The then-23-year-old Superlek unleashed a whirlwind of destruction against the Portuguese star, dropping Botelho with what soon became his trademark lunging elbow barely 30 seconds in. The Dinamite Team athlete got back to his feet and continued fighting until the final bell, but Superlek's ultra-aggressive style gave him the unanimous decision victory.
Check out the highlights of their fight below, which ONE posted on Instagram:
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Superlek won his next two bouts to cement his shot at Ilias Ennahachi and the ONE flyweight kickboxing world championship. Ennahachi gutted out a unanimous decision win in their February 2021 world title bout to retain the gold and snap the Thai star's winning streak.
He has not tasted the bitterness of defeat since then, forging an ongoing 11-fight winning streak. It culminated in a 49-second knockout of Jonathan Haggerty last September to wrest the 145-pound Muay Thai gold from him. Haggerty still holds the ONE bantamweight kickboxing world championship.
Superlek solely focused on upcoming unification bout
Superlek will look to become the undisputed ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion when he faces ONE interim bantamweight kickboxing world champion Nabil Anane in their unification bout at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang on March 23.
At the recent ONE 172 press conference, the two-sport ONE world champion talked about their winner-takes-all matchup, which will also be the rematch of their June 2023 encounter. He said:
"For me, Nabil is one of the toughest fighters in the bantamweight division. He is a tall fighter, and he has fast development. Nothing much to say now, see you on the fight day."
ONE 172 will emanate from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The event is available via watch.onefc.com.
