“Everyone wants to be a champion” - Stamp says relinquishing the atomweight title was the right thing to do

Former ONE atomweight MMA world champion Stamp Fairtex prides herself on doing the right thing, even at the cost of her personal happiness.

The Thai fan-favorite worked hard to return from a career-threatening knee injury, knowing she couldn't continue holding up the promotion's stacked 115-pound MMA ranks.

Being too eager ultimately cost her big time, as Stamp suffered a setback in her recovery and had to start from scratch. The disheartening development also made her come to terms with a rather heartbreaking decision.

While pained and frustrated by the cruel twist of fate, Stamp knew she had to do the noble thing and allow her division to move on in her absence.

The promotion's three-sport queen relinquished the 26 pounds of gold she worked hard to attain, making way for her former training partner Denice Zamboanga to become the undisputed atomweight MMA world champion.

Stamp shared in a recent interview with Nick Atkin:

"First thing I thought of the belt, I know, like I said earlier…everyone wants to be a champion, and it’s almost two years since I last fought. And now, I still cannot [defend my world title yet]. So, it’s sad."

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Stamp shares the silver lining to her decision of relinquishing the belt

While devastated that she couldn't defend her atomweight MMA world title, Stamp Fairtex admitted handing it over felt like a huge weight lifted off her shoulders.

After all, without the pressure of rushing back to defend her throne, the Thai megastar can fully focus on getting better and returning at her own pace. She told Nick Atkin:

"Now, I don’t have a lot of pressure. Before I have a lot [of pressure] cause I needed to train really hard to keep my belt. But, now, it’s okay. I have to just take care of my body, my knee, 100 percent, then go back into the ring again."

Watch the full interview: