Superlek still “not in a hurry” to fight Rodtang after decimating Tagir Khalilov

Superlek Kiatmoo9 is not interested in rushing into a long-awaited superfight with Muay Thai sensation Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

‘The Kicking Machine’ put on another stunning show inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on Friday night, scoring a second-round TKO against dangerous Russian knockout artist Tagir Khalilov. It was Superlek’s second finish in three weeks after putting away newcomer Nabil Anane at ONE Friday Fights on June 23.

Determined to stay active and take on any challengers ONE Championship puts in his way, there is one fight that Superlek has no intention of rushing. Fans have been clamoring for years to see Thai stars Superlek and Rodtang square off in the art of eight limbs, but thus far, the bout is yet to come to fruition. The pair were previously scheduled to compete in March, but ‘The Iron Man’ was forced to withdraw due to an injury sustained in training.

Now, it appears that both men have found themselves on separate paths. Speaking to the South China Morning Post following his 11th career win under the ONE banner, Superlek revealed that while a fight with Rodtang is still on his radar, he has no intentions of forcing the issue or rushing into a fight with the ‘The Iron Man.’

“Well, again, I'm not really in a hurry for Rodtang fight. Maybe Rodtang wants to fight Haggerty, maybe he wants to fight in other divisions. We don’t know,” Superlek said.

Interestingly, each man is path could ultimately lead them to the same potential opponents. Rodtang and Superlek have expressed a strong desire to scrap with reigning ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Jonathan Haggerty. There is also the question of who three-division K-1 world champion Takeru Segawa will face in his highly anticipated promotional debut.

If Rodtang and Superlek postpone their superfight, who would you like to see each man fight in their returns to the Circle?

If you missed any of the action or just want to relive an epic night in ONE Championship history, the ONE Fight Night 12 replay can be watched anytime on demand via Amazon Prime Video in North America.