Diachkova's Four Knockouts Set Up Hemetsberger Title Clash

Natalia Diachkova has knocked out four of her six ONE Championship opponents in the first round, and this Friday that finishing power gets measured against two-sport champion Stella Hemetsberger's five-round composure.

The 31-year-old Russian challenges Hemetsberger for the ONE Women's Strawweight Muay Thai World Title in the main event of ONE Fight Night 46, streaming live from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on August 14. Per BJPenn.com, Diachkova opened her ONE run with four straight wins on the weekly series to earn a six-figure contract in 2024, with three coming by knockout. Her first title shot fell short, but two statement finishes since have put her back in line.

Explosive Power Meets Championship Rounds

Her most recent stoppage came against Fahsai Aor Yutthachai at ONE Friday Fights 152 this past May. Hemetsberger, by contrast, has built both her title-winning performances on full-distance decisions over Jackie Buntan, grinding out opponents over 25 minutes rather than landing one fight-ending sequence. "For a long time, I've been tortured by injustice," Diachkova said, according to the report. "Why do I train for so many years, and I failed psychologically in the title fight?"

She added that the setback forced changes she now views as necessary. "I realized that everything that happened to me was for a reason," she said. "All the changes that ought to have happened to me happened, and now I'm exactly where I should be."

The fight streams Friday night in US primetime with Hemetsberger's two-sport gold on the line.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Natalia Diachkova’s four knockouts make her a threat unlike any Stella Hemetsberger has faced