Stamp Fairtex focused on mixed martial arts

TWO-SPORT World Champion Stamp Fairtex surprised fans - and even herself - at ONE: DREAMS OF GOLD on Friday, 16 August.

In her first mixed martial arts bout on the global stage, the ONE Atomweight Kickboxing and Muay Thai World Champion submitted her previously-undefeated Indian opponent Asha “Knockout Queen” Roka via rear-naked choke at the 1:29 mark of round three.

“It was a great debut for me. I am happy with my performance and all the experience I was able to gain during this match,” the 21-year-old said after a career-defining win inside Bangkok’s Impact Arena.

“I was so excited to get the submission – I didn’t think I would be able to get one. It made me feel proud of myself. I definitely gained more experience from not getting the finish in round one and learned more by attempting a different submission.”

The Fairtex representative dominated the striking department, then took the contest to the canvas –unfamiliar territory for the Thai.

But during the duel, Stamp noticed that her adversary’s ground game was not what she expected. She almost scored an early finish in the opening stanza courtesy of an armbar.

“At the beginning, I was thinking of just keeping it standing, but then I wanted to show my coaches and the fans what I have been working on,” the Pattaya native recalled.

“When I grabbed her to clinch up, I realized that her ground game wasn’t going to be that advanced. I felt a lot more confident after that about taking her down.”

“Standing with her, I felt strong but didn’t think I’d be able to get the knockout. She was persistent.”

With her second mixed martial arts win on her record, Stamp stressed that she is more than ready to test herself under this discipline once again.

However, the young star did not rule out a defense of her Muay Thai or kickboxing belts if she has to.

“As for the future, I’ll be ready for whatever opportunities ONE Championship puts in front of me. However, for the time being, I’d prefer to focus on mixed martial arts so I can gain experience.”

ONE Championship travels to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam on Friday, 6 September for ONE: IMMORTAL TRIUMPH, the organization’s first-ever all-ONE Super Series card.