Settling The Debate: Revisiting The Drama Behind Abdulla Dayakaev And Superlek’s Rematch At The Inner Circle 25
A scorecard settled it on paper. It did nothing to settle it everywhere else, though. Russian knockout merchant Abdulla “Smash Boy” Dayakaev and Thai megastar “The Kicking Machine” Superlek return at The Inner Circle 25 to end their conversation for good.
The pair are ready to blow the roof off Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium with another epic slugfest in their bantamweight Muay Thai rematch, which streams live in Asia primetime this Friday, August 7, exclusively for members at live.onefc.com.
Both men walked into their first meeting at The Inner Circle 14 this past May desperate for a bounce-back victory.
Dayakaev arrived just four months removed from a shocking knockout loss to now-reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon – a defeat that put an end to his brilliant run of four successive highlight-reel finishes.
Superlek’s road to that night was even rockier. The Thai striker had been stripped of his bantamweight Muay Thai gold for missing weight before dropping a three-round battle to Nabil Anane. Then came another stinging loss to former K-1 Champion Yuki Yoza at ONE 173 in Tokyo, Japan.
A decisive result was not just what the Russian and Thai wanted. It was needed.
Then fight week threw its own twist into the mix. “Smash Boy” stepped on the scale 3.2 pounds over the bantamweight limit, immediately clouding the matchup before either man had thrown a punch on the global stage.
What followed only added fuel to the fire.
Dayakaev came out calm and composed, reading the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion’s opening kicks perfectly before countering with a thunderous right hand that sent the Thai crashing to the canvas for an eight-count.
Superlek rose on shaky legs, and the Dagestani pounced for the finish, only to eat a sharp right elbow that stopped his charge cold and opened a cut near his eye.
That elbow set the tone for the rest of the fight. “The Kicking Machine” regrouped in the second, tripling up on low kicks and meeting every one of Dayakaev’s advances with jutting elbows.
The Team Mehdi Zatout and Team Chingiz Allazov star hunted for the same right hand that had worked in round one, but the 30-year-old Thai ducked underneath, clinched, and battered him with knees.
The third round played out much the same way, with Superlek blasting through the Russian’s guard and smothering him against the ropes.
When the scorecards were read, two of three judges sided with Dayakaev, handing him a split-decision win. The knockdown, paired with the missed weight that hung over the entire fight, ensured the result would not go unquestioned.
Reaction from the fan base was anything but unanimous.
A vocal minority felt Dayakaev’s first-round knockdown had done enough to earn him the victory. A far larger share, however, believed Superlek’s dominant response over the second and third stanzas deserved to tip at least two scorecards in his favor.
The debate raged for days across social media and fan forums alike, with neither side willing to budge.
In the end, ONE Championship gave the fans exactly what they wanted: a second chance to settle it inside the ring. The organization confirmed their sequel exactly 11 days after the controversial ending to their nine-minute war.
Dayakaev has made no secret of his desire to clear his name once and for all in this rematch. The 24-year-old is determined to continue his march toward divisional gold, further inspired by his teammate Asadula “The Dagestan Ninja” Imangazaliev’s capture of the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title.
Superlek, meanwhile, has vowed to rewrite the ending entirely at The Inner Circle 25. Above all, he is fired up to rediscover the form that took him on an 11-fight win streak against the likes of Takeru “Natural Born Krusher” Segawa, Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon, Jonathan “The General” Haggerty, and Anane.
On top of that fiery backdrop, the stylistic matchup promises to deliver another three rounds of high-octane action. Dayakaev’s unorthodox attacks and aggression against Superlek’s all-around brilliance make for an inherently combustible pairing.
Given how their first encounter unfolded, do not be surprised if this rematch ends in far more decisive fashion in Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, August 7.
