“The only thing I want to do is win” – KO hunter Natalia Diachkova prepared to go the distance against Smilla Sundell if need be

Russian Muay Thai and kickboxing star Natalia Diachkova will get her first shot at ONE Championship gold at ONE Fight Night 22 this May 3.

Across the ring from her will be the youngest Muay Thai world champion ever, Smilla Sundell. The vacant ONE strawweight Muay Thai world title will be on the line after the young Swede phenom failed to make weight for her headliner contest.

'Karelian Lynx', as Natalia Diachkova's fans call her, has four straight wins in ONE Championship, three coming by way of the knockout. Fighting someone as dangerous as Sundell, the Russian striker will gun for the finish but is quite prepared to go the distance.

She told the South China Morning Post:

“As for the fight, I cannot say if I’m gonna go all the rounds with her or I’m gonna finish earlier. The only thing I want to do is win. And I’m gonna win. That’s pretty much it.”

Watch the full interview here:

There's an adage in fighting that still holds: you don't get the knockout by hunting for the knockout. To get the coveted finish, one must stick to the game plan and keep applying it for as long as it's needed. Eventually, the kill shot will present itself.

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Smilla Sundell misses weight, gets stripped of world title, Diachkova still eligible to fight for the belt

Huge drama and controversy surround the world title bout between Smilla Sundell and Natalia Diachkova at ONE Fight Night 22.

As it turned out, Sundell, who previously held the ONE strawweight Muay Thai world title, missed weight by 1.5 pounds.

As per ONE Championship's rules regarding world title bouts, both competitors need to meet the exact weight requirement (125 pounds) while also meeting the hydration tests. Sundell came in at 126.5 pounds.

She considered shaving off her long hair but it was determined that doing so would only take away a pound.

As a result, 'The Hurricane' was stripped of her belt and would not be eligible to win it back on fight night. Natalia Diachkova, however, made weight on point and would still be eligible to win the strap if she beats Sundell.

ONE Fight Night 22 will air live on US Primetime on May 3 free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America.