ONE Friday Fights 172 Main Event Result: Superlek Jitmuangnon Dazzles Against Rhouni To Claim Unanimous Decision
Thai striking ace Superlek Jitmuangnon made his highly anticipated return to the world’s largest martial arts organization, and he made it look like he never left.
The 22-year-old Thailand native displayed a quick trigger and sharp reflexes to outgun Moroccan star Othman “The Ironside” Rhouni in the bantamweight Muay Thai main event of ONE Friday Fights 172. The event was broadcast on Friday, September 25, and streamed live in Asia primetime from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium.
Teasing a new and improved version of himself in his first appearance in ONE Championship in three years, the Jitmuangnon Gym product came out firing. He spent a few years on the regional circuit, but when it was time to return to the global stage, Superlek delivered the goods.
It was not smooth sailing early, however, as Rhouni tested his mettle and wasted no time uncorking sharp boxing and thudding body blows to send a quick message. The Moroccan worked effectively behind a disciplined jab and kept his guard high on defense to stifle the young Thai fighter.
Refusing to be denied, Superlek broke through that guard with short punches inside a strong clinch, before landing crisp hooks upon disengaging.
After getting a feel for his opponent, the 22-year-old stepped on the gas pedal in the second canto, connecting on thudding body kicks followed by piercing straight hands. Rhouni answered with a heavy left hook, but Superlek timed his entry and drilled the Moroccan with a slicing step-in elbow. With his foe backing toward the ropes, the Jitmuangnon Gym representative drove a punishing knee into the midsection.
Entering the final three minutes of the contest, both fighters felt a sense of urgency and left everything in the ring. Rhouni landed a sneaky head kick to start and followed that up with a blistering one-two combination. But Superlek simply swayed out of danger, smiled, and fired back with a retaliatory elbow that had the crowd on their feet.
Ultimately, the three-round war went to Superlek via unanimous decision, who pushed his career record to 61-16 on a memorable winning return to the weekly series.
