Smilla Sundell is getting ready for her next title defense. The astonishing talent of the teen sensation will return at ONE Fight Night 22 on Friday, May 3. As the Swedish superstar prepares for Natalia Diachkova, she leaves no stone unturned as she learns from other Muay Thai greats.
As another challenge awaits, Sundell has been on the road to expand her horizons. “The Hurricane” traveled to PK Saenchai Gym and got a first-hand lesson from ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai. To say that she was impressed would be an understatement.
“I did his seminar in Bangkok at PK Saenchai with my friend Matt. We went there and wanted to learn some new skills and see how he did seminars because I want to go to America after my fight to do seminars. I’ve done one now, and I like teaching, so it was fun. I just wanted to see other people doing it, too. He had some good tricks, so I learned some new stuff. He taught me some small tricks, like how to do a push kick differently, which was cool,” Sundell described to ONE.
Sundell was not simply there to listen from the pound-for-pound great. The Swedish star also got to exchange with Tawanchai during their meeting. Although it was not done at full power, Sundell got an experience she will always remember.
“We did drills and a one-minute sparring with him. He’s very fast and strong. He didn’t go full power in the sparring, but wow. There’s no competition in it. He’s like a cat playing with a rat. It’s too easy for him sometimes – he doesn’t even try,” the teen star said.
Primarily, Sundell trains at Fairtex Training Center. The legendary gym gives her an opportunity to learn from the best striking artists on the planet. One of those stars is Stamp Fairtex.
But it is not just a relationship of respect, the two ONE Championship athletes are friends. That friendship is important to Sundell, who also remarked on how Stamp has remained the same person even in light of her global stardom. The Thai star remains a role model even though Sundell wears gold just the same.
“She’s always been a happy girl and trains hard every day. She’s basically the same, funny girl. Still hungry (to get wins),” Sundell stated.
Ahead of her next title defense, Sundell is clear about what role Stamp has played in her progression as a martial artist. While she has learned from everyone in her life, including her parents, Stamp’s example as an athlete shines more brightly than others. It has kept her grounded and allowed her to continue becoming an even more dangerous World Champion.
“I think I learned that you can achieve whatever you like as long as you put in the work. But I learned that from my parents too. But maybe more practical, in a sense, because Stamp did it in martial arts,” Sundell remarked.
ONE Fight Night 22 airs live on Friday, May 3. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Prime Video. The event is free for all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada.
More must-reads: