Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang gave his thoughts on the massive ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title showdown between reigning champ Smilla “The Hurricane” Sundell and surging Russian contender Natalia “Karelian Lynx” Diachkova. 

The two strawweights collide in the main event of ONE Fight Night 22 on 4 May at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and the Filipino couldn’t be more excited. 

Although Diachkova has been destructive so far in ONE Championship, Adiwang believes 19-year-old Sundell will figure out a way to slow her aggression and power. 

“I think this match is going to end up being a very technical match. Still, the edge goes to the champ, Sundell, in this match,” he said. 

“One thing she should look at against Diachkova is her power and boxing. But if she keeps her composure against Diachkova’s pressure and counter effectively, I’ll definitely be taking Sundell.”

While it’s tough to look past Diachkova – who’s finished three of her last four opponents inside the first round – Adiwang is confident that Sundell has the Russian figured out. 

“Thunder Kid” gushed over Sundell’s ability to adjust mid-fight, and he expects her to do the same thing when the two best strawweight strikers in the world meet in less than two weeks. 

“She’s got the advantage when it comes to timing and her rhythm in Muay Thai,” Adiwang said. 

“Another one of those advantages is her reach. She’s very tall, she uses her height to her advantage, and she knows how to use it for her Muay Thai. She can pressure as well if she needs to, but she can also hang back and look for counters, and that’s her advantage.”

According to Adiwang, Sundell has much more experience than what her age suggests. She might only be 19 now, but her skills more than make up for it. 

“She might be young, but her level of experience with all her competition and training in the gym is different,” Adiwang said. 

“The level of the people she’s training with daily and the people she’s faced makes her different.”