ONE Muay Thai sensation and current MMA prospect Wondergirl Jaroonsak has been working on her ground game lately. Since successfully transitioning to MMA this year, the former Muay Thai national champion has shown extreme promise with her grappling.
In a recent video posted on Wondergirl's Instagram account, we saw the Thai fighter working on some armbar and triangle choke drills at her gym, Marrok Force MMA:
"Go switch it 🔁 then finish it ✅"
In jiu-jitsu, the armbar and the triangle choke are, technique-wise, siblings. Both techniques can be chained and interchanged while maintaining the same hold. If the armbar fails, transition to a triangle. If the triangle fails, transition to the armbar. Then, there's also the triangle armbar.
Jiu-jitsu is a complicated but technically dazzling sport and Wondergirl understands this. This is perhaps why she decided to let go of the Muay Thai gloves and put on the fingerless ones to test her might in MMA.
Wondergirl Jaroonsak makes a marvelous MMA debut at ONE 157
Nat 'Wondergirl’ Jaroonsak made her highly anticipated MMA debut at ONE 157 and clashed with 'Fighting Queen' Zeba Bano. With both having strong striking backgrounds, a lot of pundits predicted a slugfest. Bano, after all, has won national titles in kickboxing in her home country of India.
Wondergirl, however, had other plans as she won the match via armbar submission at 1:22 of the first round. The proud Thai fighter must really love an armbar finish.
In her post-fight interview with ONE commentator Mitch Chilson, Wondergirl Jaroonsak said in an exuberant tone:
"I'm so excited! I can't sleep last night. It's my first time for MMA in ONE Championship, and I didn't fight for one year. And I did a submission! Submission!"
Now that she's successfully introduced herself to the highly competitive ONE women's strawweight division, Wondergirl Jaroonsak ended her speech with these biting words:
"MMA Strawweight division, I'm coming for you guys!"
Indeed, she has arrived. Now we're curious to see who Wondergirl Jaroonsak faces next and if she can impose her new-found expertise on submission holds.