Superlek Kiatmoo9 Vacates ONE World Title After ACL Injury
Superlek Kiatmoo9 has surrendered his ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship after a serious knee injury put his planned return to the division on hold.
“The Kicking Machine” announced the decision on Thursday, several weeks after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee during his rematch with Abdulla Dayakaev. ONE confirmed that Superlek is now focused on recovering from the injury rather than trying to hold onto the championship while sidelined.
The injury came at a particularly frustrating point in his career. Superlek had been preparing to return to the flyweight kickboxing division after spending much of the previous two years competing at bantamweight. He was also scheduled to face Jonathan Di Bella in a champion-vs.-champion matchup in Tokyo on October 17.
Superlek Kiatmoo9 Steps Away From ONE Gold
The decision was clearly not an easy one for the 30-year-old Thai star.
“After taking some time to reflect and consulting with my team, I have decided to officially vacate the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship.”
“Holding this belt has been a tremendous honor and a source of great pride for me. Winning it was not easy—it required enduring exhaustion, pain, and countless challenges. And of course, I dreamed of holding the championship for as long as possible. Thank you to ONE for giving me the opportunity to prove myself on this stage, and thank you to all the fans who have continually supported me and stood by my side. For now, I need to take some time to let my body fully recover, and then I will be back.”
Superlek's Injury Ends Jonathan Di Bella Showdown
The ACL tear also wiped out what had been one of ONE's most intriguing upcoming kickboxing matchups.
ONE announced in August that Superlek would defend his flyweight kickboxing title against Jonathan Di Bella at ONE Samurai 4 in Tokyo on October 17. Di Bella was set to move up from strawweight and challenge for a second ONE kickboxing world championship.
The bout became doubtful immediately after Superlek's injury, and subsequent reporting confirmed that the matchup would not proceed as originally planned.
For Di Bella, the fight was supposed to be a chance to become a two-division ONE kickboxing champion. For Superlek, it represented his long-awaited return to the flyweight division. Instead, the injury has left the Thai star with a different priority: recovery before another title fight.
