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#4. MMA atomweight Stamp Fairtex
Having begun training in Muay Thai at five years old, ONE Championship's No.3-ranked MMA atomweight Stamp Fairtex—now 24—has made a name for herself as one of the best female Nak Muays in combat sports.
Currently signed with ONE Championship, Stamp became a two-sport world champion by capturing the atomweight kickboxing and Muay Thai belts before making her transition to MMA. Even so, Stamp has not closed the book on Muay Thai, as she currently occupies the No. 2 spot in ONE's atomweight Muay Thai rankings.
As for her career in MMA, Stamp has yet to meet an opponent she couldn’t eventually defeat. Her first and only loss came at the hands of Alyona Rassohyna. The Ukrainian athlete forced Stamp to tap to a rear-naked choke with just seven seconds remaining in the bout.
The two competed in an MMA rematch in early September. Stamp avenged her loss to Rassohyna with a hard-fought, split-decision victory.
#3. MMA lightweight contender Rafael Fiziev
Fighting out of the critically acclaimed Tiger Muay Thai, Kyrgyzstan’s Rafael Fiziev seemingly became an MMA fan favorite overnight. Known for his impenetrable defense and flashy offensive striking repertoire, Fiziev is an excellent example of a Nak Muay successfully transitioning to MMA.
Often, those coming from a background in Muay Thai tend to stand upright in MMA, with a narrow stance, leaving themselves susceptible to takedowns. Fiziev has quickly boosted his MMA takedown defense to a serviceable level, awarding him the freedom to utilize his dangerous striking.
So far, ‘Ataman’ has compiled a 10-1 record, with six knockouts to his credit in MMA. He even won a fight by way of submission back in 2016. Fiziev was recently added to the UFC’s top 15 rankings, where he occupies the No. 14 spot. It will be interesting to follow Fiziev’s journey as his skill set continues to round out, all based on his strong foundation in Muay Thai.
