‘Clear Head’ – With Elite Team Behind Her, Amber Kitchen Ready For Breakout Performance At ONE Fight Night 11

Despite not getting the results she’s chased in ONE Championship so far, Amber Kitchen feels more confident than ever ahead of her return on Friday, June 9. 

The 24-year-old English striker passed on the reins of her gym and moved to the opposite end of the country to focus strictly on her training, and she thinks that sacrifice will pay dividends when she faces Martine Michieletto at ONE Fight Night 11: Eersel vs. Menshikov on Prime Video. 

Kitchen had taken over head coaching duties at her family’s academy, Touchgloves Gym, in Cornwall and split her time training with fellow ONE star Liam Harrison at Bad Company in Leeds last year. But after falling to Diandra Martin in her most recent battle last August, “AK 47” decided to relocate and fully devote herself to perfecting her craft.

Now, in the days leading up to ONE Fight Night 11, Kitchen believes she will be more prepared physically and mentally when she steps into the ring for her strawweight Muay Thai battle at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

She said:

“I’ve moved to Bad Company permanently now. I’m just feeling amazing for this one. Everything’s going perfectly to plan.

“I’ve got no distractions of running my own business down in Cornwall anymore. And I’ve come away from my whole life just to dedicate it to this fight. It’s a good feeling. Clear head. 

“I’m feeling super confident because I had such a long camp. In my last camp, I had six weeks’ notice, but for this one, I’ve had 12. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

Kitchen has come up short in three competitive matches during her promotional run, and she could be forgiven for feeling deflated. But with a new camp supporting her, she knows the results will come.

The British striker has taken away plenty of positives from her previous outings and has sharpened her skills over the past several months. And on June 9, she hopes it will translate into a much sought-after victory on the global stage.

She offered:

“I’ve taken on the top opponents in the division. I know I’ve had losses, but I’m putting on exciting performances. They’re not one-sided. I’m still standing there and giving as much as I take.

“I really, really want to win in ONE, and especially on these Lumpinee cards. All the cards are amazing, but the Lumpinee cards are so fiery. I just really want to do Bad Company proud in this one. They’ve put so much time and effort into me.”

Amber Kitchen Gunning For A Knockout At ONE Fight Night 11

Amber Kitchen’s next opponent is Martine Michieletto – an ISKA Kickboxing World Champion who will step onto the global stage for the first time in Bangkok. 

“The Italian Queen” brings a strong resume with her to the big leagues, and she certainly has the English star’s respect. But “AK 47” believes her athleticism, as well as her familiarity with the Global Muay Thai Rule Set and experience competing on such a massive stage, puts the bout in her favor.

Kitchen said:

“Anyone who is in ONE is obviously very talented and high-level, so I can’t knock anyone, but I feel confident going into this fight – not from watching her, but just from the amount of training that I’m doing. I know she’s not training as hard as I am. I’m training three to four times a day. 

“I’ve watched some of her videos, and the speed is there, but I don’t feel like she’s got much power. I feel like she’s going to come out all guns blazing. She’s very explosive. But I don’t know how long she can keep that up, especially not when she’s being hit in the four-ounce gloves and being on such a big platform. I feel like I’ve got that advantage on her.”

Kitchen also feels like she has the edge in the power stakes, and there’d be no better way to enter the win column than with an emphatic stoppage. 

The Brit’s losses have been in games of inches, and she has zoned in on the small details that can convert narrow defeats into victory.

“AK 47” explained:

“I’ve been working a lot on getting my distance right. I feel like I’ve got knockout power. I just haven’t had that accuracy with the distance so far. So, I’ve been working a lot on that. 

“I want to go and do some damage on her. I feel like I can knock her out.”