ONE Championship: ‘Autistic’ Muay Thai champ Smilla Sundell’s biggest obstacle might be outgrowing weight division
- Swedish 19-year-old – who headlines Fight Night 22 – is getting better every day from a technical perspective, but she is also growing in size
- That is the only cloud on the horizon for Sundell, as ONE Championship does not currently have any female flyweights
It is unusual for a fighter to capture a world title at a young age, but Smilla Sundell is clearly not your typical teenager, and the 19-year-old feels she is a little bit different in many respects.
“I do a lot of personality tests, I think I’m a bit autistic,” the Swede, who at 17 became the youngest person to ever win a world title in Muay Thai by defeating Jackie Buntan to win the inaugural ONE Women’s Strawweight Championship, said.
And while she looks to be at the peak of her powers and is getting better every day from a technical perspective, she is also growing in physical stature – and that is the only cloud on her horizon.
ONE Championship does not have any female flyweights on the roster but Sundell admits it is a matter of when, not if, she outgrows the strawweight division in which she fights.
“I am turning 20 this year. I signed the (ONE Championship) contract when I was 16 and I have grown some muscle and I’m even taller,” she said.
After signing quickly captured the strawweight Muay Thai title, which she will be defending for the second time on Saturday.
Sundell faces Natalya Dyachkova in the main event at ONE Fight Night 22 in her first time headlining a card – and the teenager sees it as a major career landmark.
“It’s very cool, I’m very excited for that. I’m proud of myself that I’ve done this at such a young age,” she told the Post.
Her Russian rival has knocked out three of her past four opponents in the opening round and Sundell acknowledges she is in for a challenge.
“She’s good in boxing, that’s how she knocked out everyone, she’s fast and strong but I like a big challenge – it makes me train even harder,” the Swede added.
The prospect of Sundell improving even further is a scary one for the strawweight division.
She trains at the Fairtex Gym in Pattaya, alongside reigning ONE Championship atomweight MMA champion Stamp Fairtex, and hints she has been working on some new techniques ahead of her second title defence.
“I hope I can try something new this fight but I don’t want to tell you just yet,” she said.
While a move to flyweight seems inevitable, she would like to capture at least one more title first.
Buntan and Anissa Meksen are competing for the inaugural strawweight kickboxing belt at ONE Fight Night 23 next month. Sundell already holds that win over Buntan and would love to challenge for that belt while she can still make the strawweight limit.
“She [Buntan] has improved a lot and I would like to fight the winner. Kickboxing is more like sparring, in my eyes, because it’s big gloves,” Sundell said.
Sundell did compete in a kickboxing bout last year, beating Milana Bjelogrlic by decision at ONE Friday Fights 18 but that is not the only new sport she is interested in.
“I want to try MMA in the future but I want a mixed-rules fight first to test out how it is,” she said. “I’m not really rolling with Stamp but I have done some guillotines – I like that.”
While she appears to be completely calm, Sundell said this is a facade. Her ONE Fight Night 22 headliner might be three days away, but she is already feeling nervous.
“Of course that’s normal, I’m very nervous now” she said. “But when they raise your hand at the end it’s all worth it – there’s no better feeling.”
