“Showed the heart of a champion” - ONE fans marvel at Smilla Sundell’s inspiring comeback against Natalia Diachkova

Photo Credit: ONE Championship
Photo Credit: ONE Championship

ONE Championship fans were absolutely floored by Smilla Sundell's sensational second-round knockout of Natalia Diachkova at ONE Fight Night 22. 24 hours after losing her ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world title on the scale, 'The Hurricane' delivered a comeback for the ages against the Russian standout, keeping her perfect record intact under the ONE Championship banner.

"Comeback queen. Smilla Sundell STOPS Natalia Diachkova with a body shot barrage!"

Fans lit up the comments section on Instagram, marveling at Sundell's brutal finish of the 'Karelian Lynx' inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

"With all the distractions of the heartbreaking stripping of her title....this was a big statement win by Sundell. She was dominated throughout the whole fight and things didn't look good but showed true heart and finished Natalia off with that flurry at the end...wow!! Sundell may not be champion now, but she showed the heart of a champion. She'll be back at the top."
"Really happy for her. She is the best!!! She fights brilliant opponents and destroys them."
"Swedish steel."
"Turning adversity into an instrument to showcase her champion spirit — she thrives on challenges, transforming setbacks into opportunities to shine brightly. Congratulations @smilla_fairtex."

Smilla Sundell plans on reclaiming her strawweight gold following devastating weight miss

Immediately following her fifth straight win inside the Circle, Smilla Sundell revealed that she was understandably upset over losing her title due to an unfortunate weight miss but appreciated the support she had received from fans on social media.

"It's been hard this last day. I've been very sad, but I've had many people online, on social media that's been supporting me. And it means a lot to me. It kept me going today"

Ultimately, Sundell would like to see ONE Championship establish a new featherweight division in the art of eight limbs for her to compete in, but that doesn't mean she's giving up on reclaiming her strawweight title just yet.

"My weight didn't go off this time, [but] then I think I can do [strawweight] again," Sundell added. "But what I want most is another weight division."

If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE Fight Night 22 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.

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