"I was sad when she left" - Phetjeeja admits it was hard to bid farewell to longtime queen Janet Todd

ONE Fight Night 20 may have been the crowning moment for Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom in her career but it was also a changing of the guard.

After winning the interim atomweight kickboxing world championship in December, the stage was set for a huge unification clash with longtime ONE atomweight kickboxing queen Janet Todd.

The two belt holders met in the main event of ONE Fight Night 20 earlier this month on a card celebrating International Women's Day 2024.

Following the striking sensation's win, her opponent Todd announced her retirement inside the hallowed ring of the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. Phetjeeja reflected on this moment and what it meant to her during a recent interview with Sportsmanor:

"I think my favourite moment of the fight was actually after the fight where she said goodbye and announced her retirement on the stage. It was very touching and I was very happy for her, but I was sad that she left the career."

Watch the full interview below:

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This moment could be career-defining for Phetjeeja

To become a great world champion yourself, you need to face opponents of a similar stature and that's exactly what happened to Phetjeeja at ONE Fight Night 20.

Janet Todd had been an incredible trailblazer and role model for female strikers during her time in ONE Championship, but the best years of her career were now behind her.

After suffering a defeat to the new generation of world-class strikers, passing the torch and laying her gloves down in the ring was an emotional moment for Todd.

However, it was also a huge moment for the newly crowned world champion who will surely look back on this fight for years and years to come.

After their fight, the Thai megastar posted the following message on her Instagram to thank Todd for stepping in the ring with her before walking away for good.