'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
At ONE159, ONE atomweight kickboxing world champion Janet Todd is planning to make history by winning a second ONE Championship belt in a second sport. In her way, however, is perhaps the best female Muay Thai fighter that you haven't heard of: Lara Fernandez.
Since reigning ONE atomweight Muay Thai world champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues is on hiatus to focus on motherhood, ONE decided to create an interim belt.
Fernandez, the reigning WBC Muay Thai world flyweight champion and ISKA super featherweight world champion, is one of the very best in the sport today. Not to mention that she has one of the most awesome nicknames for a fighter, 'Pizza Power'.
Making her ONE Championship debut at ONE 159, Fernandez is looking to make a strong statement by defeating reigning ONE World Champion in Janet Todd. Speaking to ONE, the 26-year-old explained how she sees the fight playing out:
“I will put on a show, and then I will become [the fans’] favorite fighter. It will be a very beautiful and technical fight. I hope I can take that belt home.”
Simple but telling words by the fighting Spaniard. She's one of the best today and when she says the fight will be "beautiful and technical", best believe it will be exactly that.
Lara Fernandez has tremendous respect for Janet Todd ahead of their interim world title bout
In the interview, Fernandez also shed a bit of light on her fight preparations and what she thinks of her ONE 159 opponent, Janet Todd. Like any classy, world-champion, 'Pizza Power' has tremendous respect for her fellow martial artists.
Fernandez said:
“[Todd] is a very strong fighter, and [she has the] experience. Those are her advantages. [But] I was ready to fight when I [originally] received the news, so I just had to keep the pace and improve. I kept working in some areas, and [I’m] still doing so. I can tell the difference now – I feel so great.”
Needless to say, this clash of two of the most technical and well-rounded Muay Thai kickboxers will be a slice of heaven for any fan of the sport. What makes it even more interesting is that whoever wins this epic clash will eventually lock horns with the undisputed queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues in a unification bout.
ONE Championship's atomweight Muay Thai landscape is looking pretty intense as of late and fans will absolutely love it.
