After Controversial Loss, Stamp Seeks Redemption Against Rassohyna
Former two-sport queen Stamp Fairtex is looking to kill two birds with one stone at ONE: EMPOWER.
On Friday, 3 September, the Thai megastar will rematch #3-ranked atomweight contender Alyona Rassohyna in the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix quarterfinals at the promotion’s groundbreaking all-female event.
In the process, Stamp will have the opportunity to avenge a controversial loss and advance to the semifinals of the biggest women’s tournament in mixed martial arts history.
“This fight means so much to me,” the 23-year-old Pattaya resident says.
“Apart from being the largest tournament of female mixed martial artists, it is my opportunity to correct what I did wrong in the last fight.
“I want to prove that I’m really better than her and can defeat her. I’m doing whatever it takes to win this fight.”
Stamp, the former ONE Atomweight Kickboxing and Muay Thai World Champion, has always wanted to become the first person to win World Title gold in three sports.
The Fairtex representative was well on her way toward accomplishing the historic feat after winning her first five mixed martial arts fights – four via stoppage and one with a unanimous decision.
She then met Rassohyna this past February in the main event of ONE: UNBREAKABLE III, where she battered the Ukrainian with world-class striking, almost scored a first-round finish, and kept up the pressure in the latter stages.
A unanimous decision victory seemed all but guaranteed. However, everything changed in the waning moments of the final frame.
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As the time ticked down, Rassohyna locked in a guillotine choke and squeezed with all her might. With only seven seconds to spare, the Thai tapped her opponent’s shoulder, which referee Olivier Coste viewed as a submission and a reason to stop the contest.
But according to Stamp, that wasn’t her intention at all.
“I didn’t mean to tap out,” she states.
“In that position, I did what I had learned from my training. To survive the choke, we have to pull the opponent’s face off.
“At the moment, I could still breathe. I was trying to reach her face, but that made the referee misunderstand that I was tapping out, unfortunately. Anyway, I do understand that the referee’s reaction was for the safety of the athletes.”
The Thai’s frustration and confusion were evident immediately after Coste halted the fight. After realizing what had happened, Stamp began furiously protesting the call – but to no avail.
“I admitted that I was terribly angry, as you can see,” she adds.
“After I came back to the hotel room, I fell down and cried all night. I am not the kind of person who complains on social media or in public. I did protest in the cage, that I did. I don’t know what other people think, but I know that I didn’t tap.”
Fortunately for Stamp, she will have a golden opportunity to redeem herself on 3 September.
And after their three-round battle earlier this year, the Fairtex representative is very familiar with Rassohyna’s strengths and she is figuring out a game plan to negate them.
“She is very good on the ground, that’s very clear,” the Thai says.
“The armbar is her most dangerous technique, but I avoided it every time in the last fight. I’ll surely prepare for her ground game, but I will bring something else [to the cage] to make sure that I will win the rematch.”
That “something else” is her killer instinct, which the Pattaya resident feels was lacking during their initial encounter.
But now, with a chance to avenge her only mixed martial arts blemish and advance to the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix semifinals, Stamp promises to capitalize on the enormous opportunity.
“My last experience taught me that I have to take a chance and finish the fight right away when there is an opportunity,” she says. “I will do whatever I have to for this fight to leave the cage with my arm raised.”
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