Smilla Sundell has already made history and broken all sorts of records in combat sports. Despite her lofty accomplishments, the fighter is still keen on doing even better and creating a bigger legacy for herself. That said, ahead of her next fight, Sundell is already eyeing two-divisional championship status.
For those unaware, Smilla Sundell is the reigning ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion. Currently only 19 years of age, Sundell laid her claim to the title by beating Jackie Buntan when she was only 17 years old. As such, one of the youngest prospects in the game, Smilla is also one of the youngest champions in combat sports and the youngest champion in ONE Championship history.
View this post on Instagram
Hailing from Sweden, ‘The Hurricane’ initially started her journey when she picked up karate at age 5. Thereafter a chance family vacation to Thailand saw her introduced to Muay Thai and she hasn’t looked back since. Joining ONE Championship at 16 years of age, Sundell departed on a legendary journey. However, despite how far she has already come, the youngster has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.
Smilla Sundell predicts Jackie Buntan vs Anissa Meksen
Currently, Smilla Sundell reigns over the Muay Thai strawweight division, having beaten Jackie Buntan and then subsequently defended her title against Allycia Hellen Rodrigues at ONE Fight Night 14. That said, the young Swede has also tried her hand at kickboxing, beating Milana Bjelogrlic at ONE Friday Nights 18. As such, she is open to hopping over, seeing that there is a new prize on the line.
Recently, it was revealed that Jackie Buntan will be taking on Anissa Meksen for the inaugural ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Title at ONE Fight Night 23. Having already bested Buntan on one occasion, Sundell was meant to defend her title against her once again. That said, should Buntan win against Meksen, their fight could well have a different title on the line.
In a recent interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Smilla Sundell gave her predictions for how the fight may go:
“Oh, I think that’s a very tough pick. Anissa has her kickboxing background and Jackie, she’s good all around. I know her boxing is very good so, it will be an interesting fight.”
On wanting to fight for the kickboxing world title in the future, Sundell claimed:
“Of course I will, I want to do that too. I did ONE Kickboxing before and it was fun.”
That said, the 19-year-old is very optimistic and ambitious about what she wants to do in her career. Having accomplished so much already, Smilla is not resting on her laurels and is willing to push the boundaries on how much she can achieve. That said, before she can think about another title, there is a big task that requires her full focus and commitment first.
Smilla Sundell defends her title against Natalia Diachkova at ONE Fight Night 22
Currently, Smilla Sundell is hard at work, preparing herself for her second title defense against the ruthless Natalia Diachkova. In what will be the second defense of her Muay Thai strawweight title, Sundell faces a dangerous foe that has been racking up wins throughout a number of different combat sports. A child prodigy in her own right, Diachkova has received a lot of praise owing to her recent form.
Since her arrival at ONE Championship, the “Karelian Lynx” has had a flawless 4-0 record, with three of them coming by way of KO/TKO. In her last outing, Diachkova dismantled and dispatched Chellina Chirino within the very first round, which got her the opportunity to challenge Sundell for the title. Owing to her extensive experience and recent form, the Russian has received high praise from World Champion Anatoly Malykhin.
View this post on Instagram
Coming into the fight against Smilla Sundell, Natalia is very confident as she sees many weaknesses in the youngster’s game and also believes that she possesses many significant advantages over her opponent. That said, it will be interesting to see how things actually play out when the two step inside the ring for the main event of ONE Fight Night 22, live out of the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, May 3.