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No. 1-ranked ONE women’s atomweight contender Stamp Fairtex has opted to turn the other cheek when it comes to dealing with Anissa Meksen’s torrent of criticism.
While she isn’t exactly fond of the French-Algerian’s verbal assault, the 25-year-old still recognizes her opponent’s world-class striking skills and impressive resume.
With almost a week left before their special mixed-rules bout at ONE Fight Night 6 in Bangkok, Thailand, on January 13, Stamp praised Meksen’s fighting attributes.
Stamp told ONE Championship in an exclusive interview:
“Anissa is really good and strong. Her build is [strong] and she has a lion’s heart. I admit that she is really talented.”
However, the Thai superstar made it clear that she remembers every insult Meksen has uttered and reminded her of the proper decorum of a mixed martial artist.
Stamp, who previously held world titles in women’s Muay Thai and kickboxing, continued:
“But I don’t like the way she disrespects me. No matter how good you are, you shouldn’t look down on your opponent.”
In the build-up to only the second mixed-rules bout in ONE history, ‘C18’ has constantly insinuated that the former two-sport world champion is nowhere near her level.
But perhaps what struck a nerve the most is when Meksen suggested that Stamp is more of a "dancer" than a fighter.
Stamp, after all, is a complete savage inside the circle, but also loves to show her lighter side through entertaining dance moves pre and post-fight.
The 34-year-old veteran also downplayed Stamp’s accomplishments and the strides she made in her game over the last couple of years.
Stamp Fairtex, for her part, would rather let her fists do the talking and settle the score once the circle door closes between them on January 13.
The full card will be streamed live and for free for existing Amazon Prime Video users in North America.
Stamp Fairtex says measuring distance will be key to victory against Anissa Meksen
Many pundits are eager to see how a pure striker like Anissa Meksen can handle Stamp Fairtex in the MMA portions of their match. Then again, there’s also the variable of how Stamp will fare in the striking-only rounds.
Although the Thai wrecking machine can definitely handle her own standing, Meksen may be a whole different animal and is considered one of the best female strikers in the game today.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Stamp revealed how she’ll handle Meksen, who’s known to surgically dissect her opponents once she gets in striking range:
“I’m planning to do the clinch and be really close to her because she’s [Anissa] is very good at striking. I would try to stay as close as possible and also use a lot of knees.”
Watch Stamp Fairtex’s full interview below:
