3 reasons Lara Fernandez could upset Janet Todd at ONE 159

Lara Fernandez will have a golden opportunity in her ONE Championship debut as she takes on Janet Todd for the ONE interim atomweight Muay Thai world title.

The pair will clash at the co-main event of ONE 159 on July 22 inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Todd, the ONE atomweight kickboxing world champion, is aiming to become the third person to conquer multiple sports in ONE Championship. Stamp Fairtex and Sam-A Gaiyanghadao have both previously won the kickboxing and Muay Thai world titles of their respective divisions.

Todd is riding a six-bout win streak in the promotion, and fans familiar with her work are certainly rooting for her to accomplish the rare feat of being a double world champion.

Meanwhile, ONE Championship fans will have their first look at Lara Fernandez at the event, as the Spanish striker will make her promotional debut opposite Todd.

Here are three reasons why fans should watch out for Fernandez, and why she could pull off a massive upset.

#3. A clash of styles

Janet Todd saw her rise in ONE Super Series through kickboxing, where she avenged her lone loss in the promotion by taking away Stamp Fairtex’s crown. She later went on to compete in Muay Thai with the goal of becoming a two-sport world champion.

While Lara Fernandez understands that Todd’s skills and experience are nothing to scoff at, ‘Pizza Power’ believes that the ruleset that they will be fighting at will be in her favor. Fernandez claimed that Todd’s style is more fit for kickboxing, while hers is a mixture of both Muay Thai and kickboxing.

Todd’s only loss in ONE Championship has been her debut match for the world title against Stamp, which could mean that she is beatable in the sport. However, she has shown an improved game in her past two wins that led her to be named the 2021 Female ONE Super Series Striker of the Year.

Certainly, Lara Fernandez will look to prove her theory right when they engage in combat at ONE 159.

#2. Lara Fernandez has a world championship pedigree

Janet Todd is not the only world champion inside the circle when she steps into it for her matchup with Lara Fernandez.

The 26-year-old Fernandez won the ISKA kickboxing world title and WBC Muay Thai world title to cement her place as one of the top female strikers in the world today.

While this will be her first foray in ONE Championship, Fernandez has fought a diverse range of opponents from all over the world in her career. She has a ton of experience under her belt, having competed in over 50 striking bouts throughout her career.

It has been a tough journey for Fernandez, who sacrificed a lot to pursue a career in martial arts. Now that she reached the global stage of ONE Championship, she will certainly do whatever it takes to prove that she belongs among the greatest collection of athletes in the world.

#1. The drive and desire to be great

The bright lights of a huge stage play a significant factor in any match.

Some fighters get intimidated and succumb to the pressure, while others thrive and rise above it to perform beyond their known capabilities.

Lara Fernandez belongs to the latter group of individuals. Time and again, the farmer’s daughter from Cebolla, Spain has proven that she has what it takes to succeed in this sport.

At 16 years old, Fernandez left her home and her family to join Lone Wolf Fight Team in a different part of Spain. She had mixed results early in her career, but continued to train in order to improve her craft.

In 2019, she captured the 59-kg ISKA kickboxing world title despite it not being her natural weight. A year later, she not only defended her title but also won the WBC Muaythai world flyweight title.

Against Janet Todd, Fernandez will compete on the biggest stage she has ever performed on and will look to feed off the pressure and the energy it provides to etch her name among the greatest of all time.