ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 will slip on the four-ounce gloves once again when he welcomes Nabil Anane to the global stage at ONE Friday Fights 22 on June 23.
For Superlek, the return to Muay Thai was a decision based on the excitement of returning to Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, where Friday’s even will be held, to put on a show for his fans.
“[I switched from kickboxing] because I want to fight at the iconic Lumpinee Stadium. I miss this place. When the ONE team called me and told me that the fight will take place on June 23 at Lumpinee, I was so excited. I accepted the offer immediately,” Superlek told ONE Championship.
The itch to fight at the famed venue again has emerged thanks to ONE’s incredible ONE Friday Fights showcase, which has gone down every week this year in the Thai capital.
On June 23, Superlek will be part of the biggest event of the series to date, with two World Championship bouts and a plethora of elite Muay Thai battles making it one of the most-anticipated combat sports shows of the year.
“This is a historic event of ONE Lumpinee, and I’m sure there will not be an empty seat left. The stadium will be crowded with fans. I’m honored to fight at ONE Lumpinee and be on the same card as many elite fighters like Seksan [Or Kwanmuang], Sam-A [Gaiyanghadao], Prajanchai [PK Saenchai], Superbon [Singha Mawynn], and so on,” Superlek said.
“The Kicking Machine” may be counting the days to his return to Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, but he isn’t letting the hype around the event curtail his duties of preparing for the challenge at hand.
Anane will pose interesting challenges for the top-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender, who has broken down his debuting foe’s game to come up with a plan to overcome the natural advantages he will hold.
The 19-year-old striking star is significantly taller than Superlek, so distance management will be key in their battle.
“Underestimating my opponent is the last thing I will do. Everyone can make mistakes, and I won’t be careless. I think it is a good test for me to face a rangier striker like him and to see if my game plan works,” the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion said.
Despite Anane’s lack of experience in ONE, there is no sense of bravado from Superlek. He is taking the Algerian’s threat seriously, as he wants to continue to establish his status as a pound-for-pound star across two sports.
“Some people say he will be an easy task for me. But personally, I think there are no easy fights for me at all. Every opponent coming my way must be good enough, Nabil included,” he said.
“I can say that he is the tallest opponent I have ever fought with. Man, it is almost a [7-inch] height difference! Moreover, he’s not only tall but also possesses a variety of weapons.”
ONE Friday Fights 22 airs live at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT on Friday, June 23. The event streams free on ONE’s official YouTube channel.