Top 5 Performances From Fairtex Stars In ONE Championship
The Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya, Thailand, has produced some of the biggest stars in ONE Championship – stars who are renowned for their explosive, all-action styles.
This super-gym has been home to elite Muay Thai athletes for decades, and its top strikers have long been key players in ONE Super Series. More recently, the training center’s foray into mixed martial arts has also been a resounding success.
By now, the athletes competing out of Fairtex have impressed in every discipline on the global stage and have achieved World Championship glory.
Here are the five greatest performances from Fairtex representatives in The Home Of Martial Arts.
Abelardo In Peak Form Against Tough Jumayi
Kiwi warrior Mark “Tyson” Fairtex Abelardo earned his spot on the ONE Championship roster with his successful stint in Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series, and he has continued to entertain fans since joining the big show.
Abelardo’s bout against Ayideng “A.J.” Jumayi at ONE: DAWN OF VALOR in October 2019 was a great showcase of his powerful striking repertoire and relentless offense.
For three rounds, he constantly hunted his opponent down with a barrage of punches, kicks, and elbows. Jumayi’s incredible durability kept him in the contest, but it was still a runaway victory for “Tyson” on the scorecards after 15 minutes of action.
Stamp Bests Todd To Become Two-Sport World Champion
With an outstanding 8-1 record across three sports, Stamp Fairtex has delivered a number of memorable victories in ONE Championship. Looking back, her win over Janet “JT” Todd to claim her second World Title ranks as one of the best.
The Thai superstar became the promotion’s first athlete to win two-sport gold when she overcame her skilled American rival and claimed the ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title at ONE: CALL TO GREATNESS in February 2019.
Stamp drilled “JT” with a punishing right hand throughout the five-round battle and landed hard knees to the body inside the clinch. Todd pushed back, but the Fairtex representative countered that offense with powerful jab-cross combinations.
With 15 minutes of action in the books, the judges rendered the decision unanimously in Stamp’s favor.
However, Todd won the rematch for the ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Title. Now, Stamp has the rubber match locked in her sights.
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Yodsanklai’s Crushing Victory Over Regis
“The Boxing Computer” Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex displayed his power and ferocity when he took on Australia-based Brazilian Luis “Soot Raaeng Geert” Regis at ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS in December 2018.
In the first-ever ONE Super Series main event, the Thai legend looked to overpower his opponent with his trademark left kick and hard punches. “Soot Raaeng Geert” did not back down and returned fire with an array of strikes, but he could not budge “The Boxing Computer.”
Yodsanklai stood his ground when Regis aimed a spinning kick in his direction and then pushed the Brazilian back to the fence.
From there, the Fairtex product let rip with one of the most ferocious combinations ever seen on the global stage: he hurt Regis with a jab-cross combo and then dropped him face-first to the canvas with a three-uppercut salvo that ended the contest.
Zamboanga Stuns Former World Title Contender Yamaguchi
Denice “The Menace Fairtex” Zamboanga burst into the women’s atomweight ranks with intent, and just two bouts in, she has already earned the next shot at the division’s reigning titleholder, “Unstoppable” Angela Lee.
Zamboanga’s landmark victory over Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi at ONE: KING OF THE JUNGLE in February earned her the #1 contender spot. The Japanese pioneer had pushed Lee to the brink twice in World Championship bouts, but “The Menace” handled the veteran perfectly.
The Filipina was aggressive with her boxing output and put leather on “V.V” at every opportunity. She combined this with some well-crafted defensive wrestling and savvy defense to stay safe on the ground.
Zamboanga was never in any real trouble throughout the 15-minute battle and showed that her powerful striking can pose a threat to any atomweight opponent — even Lee.
Saemapetch Edges Past Ramazanov In Muay Thai Classic
The thrilling three-round tussle between Saemapetch Fairtex and Alaverdi “Babyface Killer” Ramazanov ignited the crowd at ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS back in November 2018.
With shades of his training partner and mentor, Yodsanklai, Saemapetch hammered the Russian with accurate left kicks and straight left punches.
Ramazanov, now the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion, returned fire with punches and push kicks, as both men were driven to their limits.
It was a close match-up to call, but the judges ultimately favored the Thai’s damaging boxing output and hard left kicks, as the Fairtex representative earned his second victory in ONE Super Series.
Read more: How Fairtex Became The Gold Standard In Martial Arts