ONE Championship has set its first U.S. primetime main event for 2024. On Tuesday, the organization revealed Superlek Kiatmoo9 will defend the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship against Elias Mahmoudi on Friday, January 12th. The event will emanate from Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
ONE’s 2024 US Debut Gains Championship Headliner
Superlek has had an extraordinary 2023. The Thai superstar went 5-0 in the calendar year, which started by winning the kickboxing crown over Daniel Puertas. He ended the year with a memorable Muay Thai war against Rodtang Jitmuangnon.
With each performance, the 28-year-old began carving out his spot among the pound-for-pound elite. His technical mastery has not only impressed, but been near peerless. However, his Algerian foe will attempt to knock him off of his perch in January.
Mahmoudi, the #5-ranked flyweight kickboxing contender, enters off of a dominating display in Muay Thai. “The Sniper” lived up to his nickname with a swift victory over Edgar Tabares. Mahmoudi won by TKO after knocking Tabares down three times in less than 90 seconds.
The main event contest joins two other bouts previously announced for the card. Brazilian brute John Lineker makes his entry into Muay Thai against Liam Harrison and Kwon Won Il meets Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg in a bantamweight MMA battle. ONE Fight Night 18 is already shaping up to be a stellar card to kickstart the new year.
ONE Fight Night 18 airs live on Friday, January 12, from Bangkok, Thailand. The action begins at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST on Prime Video. The event is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers based in the U.S. and Canada.
