Superlek Details Work With Sports Scientist Ahead Of Bantamweight World Title Fight With Jonathan Haggerty
Reigning ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9 is leaving no stone unturned in preparation for his hotly anticipated debut on North American soil.
The Thai superstar is gearing up for ONE 168: Denver, where he will move up in weight to challenge Jonathan “The General” Haggerty for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.
Set for September 6 at Ball Arena in Denver, that World Title contest will be Superlek’s opportunity to enter rarified air as a two-sport titleholder and further cement himself as one of the all-time greatest strikers.
Given those high stakes, “The Kicking Machine” knows he must be in the best form of his career against Haggerty. Accordingly, he’s enlisted the help of a sports scientist to oversee his strength and conditioning regimen.
Superlek recently spoke to onefc.com about the new addition – an expert in sports science named Hook:
“He joined my team in June. We’ve been working closely since. We’ve spent a lot of time together, working on customized plans. We’re close.”
The Thai’s physical conditioning will likely play a key role in the upcoming World Title showdown.
With that in mind, Hook has a difficult task ahead of him. He needs to ensure that Superlek can pack on enough size and muscle to move up to bantamweight and compete with the hard-hitting Haggerty – but also guarantee that he’ll make weight while hydrated, consistent with ONE’s global rules.
What’s more, Superlek plans to return to flyweight to defend his kickboxing crown afterward, making the work with Hook very important:
“I feel I’m more at ease with the weight-cutting process. It’s essential to have someone you can trust on your team. This is my first time moving up to bantamweight, so he’s been a big help.
“We’ve been doing weight training, making sure that strength is increased, but not too much muscle mass because I still want to be able to defend my belt at flyweight. His knowledge is definitely valuable. I feel prepared and supported in this fight camp.”
Already widely recognized as one of the planet’s top pound-for-pound strikers across both Muay Thai and kickboxing, Superlek thinks the expertise of sports scientists and nutritionists is invaluable to success at the elite level.
He explained:
“Every athlete should work with a nutritionist and a sports scientist. They can help you develop your potential in incredible ways. If you train alone without these two, you might reach a certain level, but with their help, you can take your performance to the next level.”
Superlek’s Trainer Started As A Fan
Before Superlek Kiatmoo9 was following the rigorous strength and conditioning program designed by Hook, the young sports scientist was just another fan of the longtime ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion.
According to “The Kicking Machine,” the pair first became acquainted at a meet-and-greet in 2023:
“Yes, he was a fan. We met last year, and he got selfies and autographs of course. It’s great to have someone who’s into the sport itself to be part of the team. I’m happy that he joined. I believe we bond over our goals and passion for Muay Thai.”
These days, Hook is much more than a fan, spending plenty of time working with the upcoming World Title challenger as he prepares for the biggest opportunity of his career against Haggerty.
Superlek joked about their relationship:
“We basically live together at the gym, so he is still getting lots of pictures with me!”
