Superlek Kiatmoo9, Wiz Khalifa, ONE Championship
ONE Flyweight Kickboxing Champion Superlek Kiatmoo 9 (left), American rapper Wiz Khalifa (right) Multiple Sources

KEY POINTS

  • Wiz Khalifa recently had a training session with ONE Championship star Superlek Kiatmoo9
  • Khalifa explained why he fell in love with combat sports despite not wanting to get hit
  • The flyweight kickboxing champion is set to defend his belt against Rodtang Jitmuangnon

More than five years ago, American rapper Wiz Khalifa made the decision to change his lifestyle for the better by including mixed martial arts (MMA) training into his daily routine.

His decision to get in shape paved the way for him to fall in love deeply with other forms of combat sports disciplines such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) and Muay Thai.

"I've been training for like five years now. I don't know, I f--- with it, it's just fun. It's cool to learn new s---. I think the older you get, you just get into different things like your body just tells you what's cool and what's not cool," Khalifa told Logan Paul on the latter's "IMPAULSIVE" podcast back in December.

On the same show, Khalifa also shared his experience of sparring with trained athletes.

"I don't know if I like it (getting hit), but I don't mind it. I'm not one of those people... I do get fired up, but you're like, 'Yeah, alright.' You take a shot, you're like, 'Alright, I take one, now I'm going to go give one.' It's crazy because I didn't like playing football 'cause I didn't want to get hit, but in fighting, I don't mind at all," he stated.

The 34-year-old hip-hop superstar from Minot, North Dakota proved to be an ardent student of the game after a footage of his intense Muay Thai workout at the Unbreakable Performance Center in Hollywood, California surfaced on social media.

But what caught the attention of most hardcore fight fans worldwide was the man holding the striking pads for him. It was none other than Muay Thai legend Superlek Kiatmoo9, the reigning ONE flyweight kickboxing champion.

Click here to see Khalifa's session with Superlek.

Khalifa has the ideal mentor to teach him the tricks of the trade in "The Art of Eight Limbs" as Superlek is a four-time Muay Thai world champion who owns a 132-29-4 professional record and has beaten several of the biggest names in the sport.

"The Kicking Machine" owns notable wins over the likes of Muangthai PK.Saenchai, Jonathan Haggerty, Taiki Naito, and Panpayak Jitmuangnon.

Superlek reached the pinnacle of his prizefighting career when he defeated Daniel Puertas by unanimous decision for the vacant ONE flyweight kickboxing title this past January.

The Buriram, Thailand native is set to return to action on March 25 (March 24 in the United States) and defend his crown against compatriot and fellow world titleholder Rodtang Jitmuangnon at ONE Fight Night 8 in Singapore.

Meanwhile, Khalifa remains non-committal about whether he will step inside the cage someday, despite being a shareholder in an upstart MMA promotion based in the United States.

However, the rap star claimed that "anything could happen" as he continues to train under Superlek and eighth-degree BJJ coral belt Rigan Machado.

Click here to see another portion of Khalifa's training session with the ONE Championship star.

Khalifa gained international recognition as a hip-hop sensation during the 2010s for his hit singles such as "Black and Yellow," "Work Hard, Play Hard," and "See You Again."

Superlek Kiatmoo9
ONE champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 set to clash with Rodtang Jitmuangnon at ONE Fight Night 8 in March. ONE Championship photo