Watch: Savvas Michael front kicks Taiki Naito in the face

Savvas Michael is an impressive talent in Muay Thai. At just 23 years of age, the Cypriot has already amassed over 40 career victories and boasts multiple world titles to his name.

In 2020, 'The Baby Face Killer' had a closely fought loss to Japan's Taiki Naito. Although he may have fallen to defeat, Michael was still able to show some of his expert skills and even snap his opponent's head back with an authoritative front kick.

On Instagram, ONE Championship recently shared a clip of the impressive strike:

"Face, meet foot 🦶 Will Savvas Michael defeat Rodtang Jitmuangnon in their ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix semifinal showdown? Find out at ONE on Prime Video 1 on August 26!"

After the loss to Naito, Michael was able to pick up a few more victories, including a dominant win over Amir Naseri in the opening round of the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix. In the semi-finals, the Cypriot striker will face ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

Rodtang and Michael are booked for a showdown in the next round of the tournament, taking place at ONE on Prime Video 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II. This event will be broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium and airs at US primetime via Amazon Prime Video on August 26.

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Savvas Michael is determined to defeat Rodtang

Michael recognizes the opportunity in front of him and sees how important it would be to his career if he were able to stop 'The Iron Man' Rodtang.

Speaking in an interview with ONE, the 23-year-old Cypriot described how determined he is to win his next fight.

“I have a picture of [Rodtang] at home. He’s the first person I see [when I get up], just for that extra motivation. There’s no Plan B. He’s the man in my division now and I want to beat him. As soon as I wake up, I already feel motivated to train once I see his picture. All I see is Rodtang. And I see a W.”

Determination is not enough alone to defeat the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion. With that in mind, Michael added that he will be looking to use Rodtang's emotions against him come fight night:

“When he gets angry he lets his emotions get in the way. Every fighter is vulnerable to that same problem. That’s why I always tell you that whoever makes the first mistake loses. As for Rodtang, he loses his temper more than a lot of us. I see that when Rodtang gets angry, that’s when he does a lot of mistakes. He has some mental lapses when he tries to keep his composure and feels that he has to regain his A-game.”

Savvas Michael will be looking to prove himself to the world when he faces Rodtang on Amazon Prime Video on August 26.