Muay Thai queen Smilla Sundell was set to defend her title strap against Natalia Diachkova at ONE Fight Night 22. However, before Friday’s scrap could ever take place, the strawweight faced weight-cut problems at the Official weigh-ins in Bangkok. With her coming 1.5lbs over the 125-pound limit, ‘The Hurricane’ Sundell fell into “catchweight” territory.
Weight cuts are a necessary evil that mars full potential. Some muddle through amidst gruesome weight cuts by perseverance and experience. While others have to go through mortifying ordeals due to anti-doping policing clauses in place. Smilla Sundell’s experience was different. She passed the hydration tests late on Thursday’s 3-hour window. However, Official weigh-in footage shows her team experimenting with her hair to make weight.
Sundell came in for an unofficial check two hours prior; the Swede was already 2.7lbs over despite cutting weight for over 6 hours. She had deployed a treadmill in a nearby sauna at Nonthaburi. The clash was set to go down at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium – where Russian Natalia Diachkova has put on a 4-0 ONE record. During the official check, Sundell’s team played with the idea of cutting her hair.
Smilla Sundell’s team suggesting she can cut her hair off. But ONE officials insist that won’t be enough – which doesn’t go down well with her dad.
But Smilla doesn’t want to do that anyway, it seems.
— Nicolas Atkin (@nicatkinONE) May 2, 2024
Smilla Sundell’s team experiment with seeing how much her hair weighs.
It’s a quarter of a pound and won’t be enough.
She’s going to lose her belt on the scale. pic.twitter.com/EAHjYhZHHz
— Nicolas Atkin (@nicatkinONE) May 2, 2024
Muay Thai trainer Champ Fairtex was visibly holding her hair up to shed a few pounds, but in vain. Despite her stellar record, this isn’t the first such time; she also similarly missed weight at the ONE 156 ceremonial weigh-ins. Despite a 20-minute window, Sundell and her team later stopped trying to make weight; she also did not favor cutting down her hair.
Smilla Sundell’s reign at strawweight comes to an end after one defense
Smilia ‘The Hurricane’ Sundell has lost her ONE championship strawweight title strap after missing weight on the scales. She passed the hydration tests in yet another habitual strain but later came above the official weight limit. Muay Thai trainer Champ Fairtex – part of her camp at Pattaya Fairtex Gym, helped with the cut. Despite ONE official telling otherwise, her corner even played with the last-ditch idea of cutting her long hair.
Smilla Sundell forfeits chance to fight for gold to Natalia Diachkova (Source: onefc.com/ Instagram (@smilla_fairtex) )With tempers running high at the Best Western Wanda “Grand” Fighter’s Host Hotel, the team gave up trying to make weight. As a result, should the ONE Fight Night 22 headliner commence, only Natalia ‘The Lynx’ Diachkova will be eligible to win the title gold.
The Swede champ had made a successful maiden defense against atomweight titleholder Allycia Rodrigues last year. However, during this official Fight Week, her corner suggested she could not keep making the 125-pound limit. They also prescribed that ONE come up with a WMMA flyweight class. Not everyone can have wavering weight cuts for life.
Smilla Sundell and her team have officially stopped trying to make weight.
She has been stripped of the ONE Championship strawweight Muay Thai title.
Natalia Diachkova can now choose to accept the fight at 126.5lbs and only she will be able to win the belt.
— Nicolas Atkin (@nicatkinONE) May 2, 2024
She thus becomes the 4th ONE Champion to lose the title on the scales. Other than Jonathan Di Bella last month, John Lineker & Kiamrian Abbasov have also lost their bantamweight and welterweight gold. Having trained as such, Sundell has expressed interest in other avenues of mixed-rules MMA before; it remains to be seen if she makes a complete transition after this.
