At ONE 168 in Denver, “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9 continued his journey to the peaks of Muay Thai, knocking out Britain`s Jonathan “The General” Haggerty in less than a minute in the main event of the evening.
The ONE Flyweight Kickboxing world champion entered the arena to prove why he is considered one of the best pound-for-pound strikers in the world, regardless of weight class. And he did it in the most spectacular way possible.
He captured the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai world title from Haggerty, becoming one of the few two-sport champions in the organization`s history, achieving this at ONE`s second major event in the USA.
The fight wasn`t one-sided. Superlek had to withstand a powerful onslaught from Haggerty, who attacked with sweeping left straights and low kicks.
Despite the difficulties, Superlek remained composed and stuck to his usual tactics as a “muay femur” style fighter – setting traps.
As expected, Haggerty took the bait. He lunged forward with a right punch, Superlek evaded and countered with a right elbow. Due to Haggerty`s forward momentum, the strike landed with immense force, sending the Brit to the canvas.
Although Haggerty showed the heart of a champion and managed to get up, he couldn`t recover within the eight-count. Thus, the Thai master secured a knockout victory in just 49 seconds.
This win was Superlek`s 11th consecutive victory in the world`s largest martial arts organization and improved his overall record to an impressive 139 wins against 29 losses.
For his performance, he also received a $50,000 bonus from ONE Chairman Chatri Sityodtong and ended Haggerty`s six-fight winning streak.
Other Fights: Harrison`s Loss and a Brutal Stoppage by Lineker
Britain`s Liam “Hitman” Harrison was also defeated, stopped by Seksan “The Man Who Yields To No One” Or Kwanmuang.
As predicted, the crowd favorites delivered an epic slugfest in their 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai bout.
The Brit started well, landing accurate strikes in the first few minutes, but Seksan absorbed them and began applying his trademark, relentless pressure.
He maintained this suffocating pace in the second round, unleashing powerful body kicks and looping punches on “Hitman”. He knocked Harrison down twice before landing a fight-ending overhand at 1:49 of the second round.
This exciting brawl improved the 35-year-old Seksan`s career record to an incredible 202 wins against 75 losses.
John Lineker was also victorious. The former ONE Bantamweight MMA world champion used his signature powerful strikes to defeat Asa “The American Ninja” Ten Pow in their bantamweight Muay Thai clash.
The Brazilian`s aggression knew no bounds. Ultimately, a right hook directly to the jaw sent Ten Pow to the canvas at 2:50 of the second round, earning Lineker his first victory in Muay Thai.
