ONE Fight Night 12 is in the books, and some interesting questions have come about from the intriguing list of results the star-studded spectacle offered up on Friday, July 14.
There is little debate about who the better fighters were in most of the bouts, with 10 fights from 12 finishing before the final bell. But discussions now arise over what may be next for the evening’s biggest winners.
With that in mind, here are three questions that we can’t get out of our heads after watching what went down at ONE Fight Night 12 this past weekend.
1. Who’s next for Superlek?
ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 was simply on another level in Friday’s main event.
“The Kicking Machine” used his elbows to finish Russia’s Tagir Khalilov in the second round of their muay Thai affair and keep his unbeaten run within the sport in ONE alive.
The question now centers around who can possibly stop the rampaging Thai.
Divisional king Rodtang Jitmuangnon is always an option, though he has stated that he’d rather keep as many belts as possible in he and Superlek’s homeland of Thailand.
ONE’s newest signing Takeru Segawa has the kickboxing chops to make a challenge of Superlek’s crown interesting, should “The Kicking Machine” want to put it on the line.
And, of course, ONE bantamweight muay Thai world champion Jonathan Haggerty, who Superlek has named in his last two post-fight interviews would be a spicy option.
No doubt all eyes will be on the ONE matchmakers to see who they pair Superlek with next.
2. Did Bogdan Shumarov earn a shot at Regian Eersel?
Bogdan Shumarov may have put his hat firmly into the ring for a shot at Regian Eersel‘s ONE lightweight kickboxing world title this past weekend.
The Bulgarian striker was likely down on the scorecards heading into the final round of his tussle with Moldovan contender Constantin Rusu, before he snatched victory during the third round with a show-stopping head kick.
Two-sport lightweight titleholder Eersel is eagerly awaiting his next challenger, and he indicated after his latest defense of his muay Thai crown that he’d like to put his kickboxing strap on the line next.
Shumarov improved to 2-0 under the ONE banner with the final-round finish, and with both of his promotional victories ending via knockout, the 26-year-old is looking increasingly worthy of a match with Eersel.
3. Can any atomweight withstand Phetjeeja’s power?
Muay Thai phenom Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom continued her ultra-impressive run as a ONE fighter with a 26-second blitz of former ONE atomweight muay Thai world title challenger Lara Fernandez at ONE Fight Night 12.
“The Queen” showed off her boxing pedigree during the impressive display, and she improved her promotional record to 3-0 with the KO over the Spanish star.
Phetjeeja possesses rare punching power for her weight class, and it’s hard to imagine many atomweights that could withstand her onslaught.
The rising star called out divisional queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues in the ring after her latest win, so the debate about whether or not the 21-year-old is ready for a shot at the top will undoubtedly linger for some time.
