Kierczynska, Lessei, Trujillo Reflect On Massive Muay Thai Victories At ONE Fight Night 19
ONE Fight Night 19: Haggerty vs. Lobo on Prime Video delivered intense action from start to finish last Friday, February 16, offering everything from epic back-and-forth battles to upset finishes.
Three of the standout contests came in the Muay Thai divisions, where a trio of rising stars earned their first promotional wins inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Martyna Kierczynska announced herself in style with a victory over Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak, while Luke “The Chef” Lessei and Nauzet Trujillo rebounded from debut defeats to claim huge results against Eddie “Silky Smooth” Abasolo and “Lethal” Liam Nolan, respectively.
Here’s what all three had to say following their most impressive performances to date in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
Kierczynska Buzzing After Late-Notice Finish Of ‘Wondergirl’
Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak was initially scheduled to face Dayane “Day Monster” Cardoso in a mixed-rules contest at Friday’s event, but when Cardoso was forced to withdraw, Martyna Kierczynska took the chance of a lifetime.
The risk paid off when she faced the Thai favorite under Muay Thai rules and earned a second-round stoppage with a blistering performance.
The 21-year-old said:
“It’s like my dreams came true. ONE Championship is the best in the world, so I’m super happy that I can be a fighter here. It’s an honor for me, and I’m super happy to make my debut. I accepted this fight a week ago, so I’m chasing my dreams.
“It was a big challenge because ‘Wondergirl’ is a very experienced fighter. She has six fights in ONE, so she’s really good. But I love challenges, so I took the fight. Today, I finished the fight in the second round. That was my plan, and I achieved it.”
It couldn’t have gone much better for the Polish phenom, and she plans to showcase more of the same in her next appearance.
The victory over “Wondergirl” has already made her a legitimate threat in the women’s strawweight Muay Thai division, and she’s hoping to continue that positive momentum as soon as possible.
Kierczynska added:
“I can fight against anybody, step by step until I get a World Title fight. My first dream was to get into ONE Championship, but my second dream is to become a ONE World Champion and have the belt.
“It was only two rounds today but next time I think I can show you more of Martyna Kierczynska and more of my Polish power.”
Lessei Earns U.S. Bragging Rights With Tight Win Over Abasolo
American strikers Luke Lessei and Eddie Abasolo put on a thrilling three-round featherweight Muay Thai firefight in U.S. primetime, and it was “The Chef” who took the nod with a closely contested split decision.
The pair traded knockdowns over the course of nine minutes. But in the end, Lessei’s strong finish saw him edge past Abasolo for a career-best win.
“The Chef” said afterward:
“This is definitely the biggest win of my career and the biggest fight of my career so far. Not only does it make me the number one USA fighter in this weight class right now, but Eddie is also a fighter that I’ve looked up to for years, and it was my first win in ONE.”
Lessei dropped his compatriot in round two before tasting the canvas for the first time in his career, but the thought of quitting never crossed his mind.
The 27-year-old badly wants to become the face of Muay Thai in his home nation. And he was proud to pass his toughest test yet, especially after dealing with plenty of adversity throughout the fight.
He explained:
“It definitely was a challenge because I want to be known as the chosen one and the star from America. When people think of American Muay Thai, I want them to say my name in the same sentence. It was tough. He dropped me, but nonetheless, I still came out strong and it was another Fight of the Night in my opinion.
“When I got dropped, I just got right back up, I didn’t even think twice. I knew I needed to get right back into it, show that Midwest mentality, and just bite down and keep going until the very end.”
Trujillo Delivers Huge Performance To Stun Nolan
Nauzet Trujillo was the underdog coming into his lightweight Muay Thai battle with British star Liam Nolan, but it never looked like it in the ring.
Knocking down Nolan with an elbow in round two, the Spanish veteran then repelled his foe until the end of the match to notch up a massive scalp.
He said afterward:
“I felt I won all three rounds. We played it safe but still, I felt I won every single round.
“Of course, I’m very happy to have beaten Liam because nobody knew me, but now people will see what I’m capable of. I’m sure I’m going to be going up in the ranks and one day become a ONE World Champion.”
After picking up a breakthrough victory, Trujillo can’t wait for his next assignment.
The 34-year-old is willing to take on anybody at any time to show that he deserves to be among the best in ONE.
He added:
“To be honest, I don’t really care who I’m fighting because I’m ready for any challenge. If you tell me that next week I need to fight this fighter or that fighter, I’ll say yes. I don’t care who that person is.
“If you tell me that next week I have to fight for the World Championship, I would also say yes and I’m ready to do it.”
