What Stamp Fairtex's last performance taught us about the Thai superstar
Stamp Fairtex has proven that she is indeed a tough contender inside the ONE Championship Circle throughout her tenure in the organization.
The former two-sport ONE World Champion made that clear once again when she defeated Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan by unanimous decision in their atomweight mixed martial arts bout at ONE Fight Night 2: Xiong vs. Lee III on 1 October.
Stamp now begins preparation for her next battle, which will see her taking on pound-for-pound striking great Anissa Meksen in a mixed rules super-fight at ONE Fight Night 6 on 14 January in Bangkok, Thailand.
Now that the dust has settled after ONE Fight Night 2, fans have begun talking about how Stamp’s showdown with Meksen will go down, and how the skills she used to beat Jihin will transfer to her next match against “C18.”
The Thai megastar stayed in control for the majority of her three-round battle against Jihin. Her Malaysian opponent, undoubtedly, arrived at the Singapore Indoor Stadium ready to throw down. But Stamp seemed laser-focused on showing the world that she could stay in charge wherever the action went.
Her ever-improving ground game seemed to have taken another step-up against “Shadow Cat,” herself a proven force on the canvas. The 24-year-old moved from position to position with ease and even caught her rival in a tight rear-naked choke in the second round. Radzuan worked her way out, but she was questioned again later when Stamp attempted a heel hook before she pulled her into guard.
The bout with Meksen will feature Muay Thai and MMA rounds, so if the top-ranked atomweight contender can survive her French foe’s onslaught in the striking department, she will most likely have the upperhand when the rules switch and the action can move to the ground.
But, judging by her most recent bout, there is every chance Stamp will also be able to bring it to “C18” on the feet.
The Fairtex gym standout landed heavy blows on Jihin throughout their tussle, including a lethal elbow that nearly brought the proceedings to an end. On top of that, her relentless pressure made it hard for “Shadow Cat” to regroup and find her footing.
This intensity will come in handy when she meets Meksen early next year. The French-Algerian fighter holds a striking record of 103-5 and has the power to stop opponents in their tracks. But if Stamp can bring the same game to her matchup with Meksen, she might scoring a decisive victory over the combative striker in that department.
Before the mixed rules super-fight goes down at ONE Fight Night 6, stay tuned to catch all the action at ONE 162: Zhang v Di Bella on Friday, 21 October, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
