3 Burning Questions For The Anissa Meksen Vs. Stamp Fairtex Mixed Rules Super-Fight
Fans of world-class martial arts are in for a treat on January 13, when Anissa Meksen and Stamp Fairtex square off in a one-of-a-kind mixed rules super-fight at ONE on Prime Video 6: Superbon vs. Allazov.
This unique showdown will go down at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, as two of the organization’s biggest superstars will clash in a four-round battle that alternates between Muay Thai and MMA rules.
A former ONE Atomweight Muay Thai and Kickboxing World Champion, Stamp has focused exclusively on MMA over the past couple of years. She’s shown incredible development in the all-around sport, winning the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix and then challenging for the divisional crown.
Meksen, meanwhile, has long been considered one of the top pound-for-pound women’s strikers in history, amassing a remarkable 102-5 record in Muay Thai and kickboxing, including a dominant 3-0 slate in ONE.
As we look ahead to this intriguing matchup, here are three burning questions on our minds.
#1 How Good Is Meksen’s Grappling?
Perhaps the most obvious unknowns relate to Meksen’s wrestling and ground game. Because despite her seemingly endless accolades in striking, the 34-year-old has never once competed in grappling or MMA.
Importantly, though, the French-Algerian superstar trained in judo for six years prior to her career in the stand-up arts and also previously trained in MMA in anticipation of an eventual transition.
That base in judo – with its focus on clinch takedowns and violently applied submissions – will come in handy against Stamp, who will surely try to test Meksen’s grappling during the MMA rounds.
Indeed, the 25-year-old Thai athlete is no slouch on the ground. She’s a purple belt in BJJ and a proven threat on the mat, as evidenced by her pair of submission wins inside the Circle.
#2 Can Stamp Still Hang With An Elite Striker?
Once considered the top atomweight striker on the planet, Stamp has since lost her Muay Thai and Kickboxing World Titles and hasn’t competed in a stand-up fight since her August 2020 defeat to current atomweight Muay Thai queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues.
This begs the question: Is Stamp still an elite striker who’s capable of going toe-to-toe with the best of the best?
That question will be answered on January 13. Even though Meksen doesn’t currently hold a ONE World Title, she’s undefeated inside the Circle and is undeniably the cream of the crop when it comes to striking.
If the Fairtex Gym representative can hang with Meksen on the feet – or even get the best of her – it will be crystal clear that Stamp is the same world-class striker who once held a pair of golden belts.
#3 Will Stamp Play Meksen’s Mind Games?
This fight doesn’t come without a certain level of animosity between the combatants, leading some to wonder if the Fairtex athlete will come in with a chip on her shoulder.
Some background: Minutes after her dominant win over Thai prodigy Dangkongfah Banchamek at ONE on Prime Video 2, Meksen took to the mic to proclaim that Stamp is just “a dancer,” while she is “a real fighter.”
Stamp certainly heard that insult, and after defeating Jihin Radzuan with her own dominant performance later in the night, she responded by pointing out that Meksen has yet to win a ONE World Title.
Will Meksen’s mental warfare play into this matchup? Will Stamp fight with emotion or be overly aggressive in an attempt to prove her critics wrong?
Answers to these questions will only be found inside the Circle on January 13.
