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ONE Championship’s first and only three-sport queen Stamp Fairtex knows she has a tough mountain to climb in her return from a career-threatening injury.
The Thai megastar returns to action after almost two years on the sidelines at ONE 173, where she’ll take on former K-1 Flyweight Champion Kana ‘Krusher Queen’ Morimoto in an atomweight kickboxing contest on November 16 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
After a devastating knee injury that set her professional career back, Stamp admitted that it was her choice to compete in an all-striking match before returning to mixed martial arts.
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In a candid interview with Nick Atkin, Stamp dispelled any notion that her comeback represents a calculated attempt to avoid difficult competition:
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"Every ruleset is difficult for me because it's all about my knee's condition, because I haven't fought in a long time. I have to both train and do the rehab, the physio, because I just don't want my knees to be a setback again. So I just want to make sure that my physical condition is 100 percent. So kickboxing, Muay Thai, or even MMA, it is still difficult for me.”
Stamp suffered a disheartening setback in her road to recovery last year and made the painful decision to relinquish her atomweight MMA world title.
The 27-year-old is understandably taking a more conservative approach this time, especially after the hardships she endured physically and mentally.
Watch the interview in its entirety:
Stamp Fairtex shares decision to return to kickboxing over Muay Thai
Stamp Fairtex is a striker at heart. Before becoming an MMA world champion, she also captured the atomweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world titles in the home of martial arts.
While she will always have a soft spot for 'The Art of Eight Limbs', the Fairtex Training Center product explained why a kickboxing bout suits her best right now:
"If it were Muay Thai, then I would consider it more dangerous. Also, kickboxing is not really my best ruleset. In Muay Thai, you have small gloves, elbows, knees, and clinch. Kickboxing isn't what I prefer the most, but I think it could be a good test for my body,” she told Nick Atkin.
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