"I want to go slow just like Stamp" - 'Wondergirl' on her Muay Thai to MMA transition ahead of debut at ONE 157

Nat 'Wondergirl' Jaroonsak is a Muay Thai-based fighter, but she'll be making her mixed martial arts debut at ONE 157 on May 20. She is following in the footsteps of Stamp Fairtex, who was originally a Muay Thai striker and turned to MMA.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, 'Wondergirl' said that she does not want to rush into MMA and try for a title quickly. She wants to journey into the sport slowly.

"I'm pretty new with this sport so I want to go slow just like Stamp Fairtex... I need to work a lot still. I want to do go slow, like Stamp. Go slow and go strong.

Catch the full interview below:

Stamp Fairtex was a two-sport champion in ONE and held titles in both Kickboxing and Muay Thai. Stamp took her time in MMA and did not rush her development. She made her debut in the sport in 2018 and challenged for a world title in 2022 against atomweight champion Angela Lee.

Jaroonsak explained that she would also like to take her time and spend years developing before challenging for gold.

"Stamp took around two years to get a title. I think two years would be perfect. It's not too fast, it's not too long."

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'Wondergirl' and her MMA debut

ONE Championship welcomed the Muay Thai fighter in her pursuit of wanting to switch to MMA. She held national titles in Muay Thai before entering ONE and will soon be changing sports.

She has experience in grappling and may be looking to prove her submission skills at ONE 157. She has already earned a blue belt in Brazilian ju-jitsu. In an interview with ONE Championship, 'Wondergirl' said:

"Even though she’s training wrestling and BJJ to beat me, I’m not scared. I’ve been training [in MMA] for, like, two years already. I’m not just Muay Thai or striking.”

Her opponent on May 20 will be 'Fighting Queen' Zeba Bano. Bano will be making her promotional debut in this bout and comes from a kickboxing background.

In her own interview with ONE Championship, Bano explained how much this opportunity means to her.

“When I used to win medals at the national level [in striking], no one would seem to care. But after joining MMA, I started getting noticed. So, I decided to pursue MMA... Even today, people don’t want to let girls compete in martial arts. But through this huge platform, I want to represent India on the global stage and want to be a source of inspiration for people.”

The two fighters will battle at ONE 157 on May 20. The event will be broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.