Tagir Khalilov was set to make a statement against Elias Mahmoudi at ONE Fight Night 12. However, a late bout change has given the Russian an even bigger opportunity. Now, on July 14, Khalilov will square off against #2-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Superlek Kiatmoo9.
Massive Change Leads to Huge Opportunity for Tagir Khalilov at ONE Fight Night 12
And it is not just a matchup against one of the world’s greatest strikers. It is the main event. No stranger to stepping into the fire on short notice, Khalilov had no trouble accepting the new opponent with the heightened stakes.
“Opportunities like this are rare, and I want to climb to the very top in this organization. I want the ONE Championship belt, and to become the best, you have to fight the best. I discussed everything with the team, and we accepted the challenge. Everyone knows that I’m not looking for easy ways – I made my ONE debut against Rodtang [Jitmuangnon] on one week’s notice,” Khalilov told ONE.
The shift in opponents did not phase the 30-year-old. He had already scouted Superlek in 2022 when the two were initially scheduled to battle. Thus it made the end of his camp an easy shift as he went back to the drawing board for the Thai superstar.
“The change in opponent didn’t really affect my training camp. We made some small adjustments. I had already prepared for Superlek back then when we were booked to fight, so I had a game plan in place. We had to revise the old plan, but we didn’t change much,” Khalilov remarked.
And he has recent footage to examine. After winning and defending the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title, Superlek returned to the ranks of Muay Thai on June 23 at ONE Friday Fights 22. The quick first-round knockout of Nabil Anane quickly reestablished himself as the top contender in the division.
But the Russian has been unphased. While Khalilov knows he is up against one of the pound-for-pound best talents, he firmly believes he has the tools to pull off the upset. Khalilov expects to give the Thai athlete a few different looks to always keep him guessing.
“In my view, the keys to beating Superlek are definitely good boxing, good footwork, and somewhat of a kickboxing style. I’ll need to deceive him, throw power shots, and punch in combinations,” Khalilov said.
With a win, Khalilov will undoubtedly force his way into the title picture. And that has been his plan since stepping onto the global stage. The 30-year-old knows this is his chance to jump the line, and he is fully prepared to leave everything inside the ring to get the job done.
“If I win, my reputation as ‘The Thai Killer’ will be reinforced even more. I’m ready to shock the world. I’m confident I can defeat Superlek. I’m at the peak of my career, and I’m very charged both physically and mentally. I’m ready to win. Victory should be one of the last steps on the way to the ONE Championship belt. My goal is to defeat Superlek, then meet Rodtang and take the belt away from him,” Khalilov said.
ONE Fight Night 12 airs live on Prime Video at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The action emanates from Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The event will be free for all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada.
