Thai striking sensation Stamp Fairtex has transitioned superbly to mixed martial arts and, after her first tilt at an MMA title fell short against Angela Lee last year, the former two-sport ONE world champion is back to challenge for the interim atomweight MMA title at ONE Fight Night 14 when she takes on Ham Seo Hee at ONE Fight Night 14. Ahead of the fight, she shared her thoughts on the matchup, what she learned in her unsuccessful first title shot, and how she sees her second opportunity playing out.
What drives you to prove that one day an MMA fighter with a Muay Thai background can succeed and become a ONE world champion?
I think the main motivator is the encouragement from the people around me, my family, and my teammates. For inspiration, I think it was the idea that I wanted to make my family’s life better. I want my parents to have a better future.
What are the important lessons you learned when you fought Angela Lee for the ONE women’s atomweight MMA world title in March 2022?
What I’ve learned from fighting Angela is that you have to finish as soon as you have the chance, and you have to look for an opponent’s weaknesses. I already hurt her with a body shot, but I hesitated to deliver a follow-up blow on the same spot. I hit her in the face instead, and that was my grave mistake. Another lesson for me is that I should not get too excited because I can’t do anything efficiently when I panic.
What does this second MMA world title opportunity mean to you?
It means a lot to me. If I can win, I’ll write my own history as the first female three-sport champion, which no one had ever accomplished before.
What are your initial thoughts on facing Ham Seo Hee?
Ham Seo Hee is a really strong fighter. Just look at her ripped body! Plus, she has a good left hand.
Ham believes there are levels to her game. What’s your reaction to that?
I agree that she is good in her field, but I think I’m better than her in this field, too. Let’s see who the better fighter is when we meet in the Circle.
What do you see as Ham’s best attributes, and how do you plan to negate it?
Ham’s strength is her left hand. She always follows up her punch with a low takedown or body lock. I think she still hesitates to finish her opponent. She’s not decisive enough. On the other hand, I have various Muay Thai weapons in my arsenal. Maybe if she leaves an opening, I will finish her off with an elbow.
Ham hasn’t lost a fight for a long time. She’s on a nine-fight winning streak. Are you confident that you will be the one to break her streak?
I’m prettier, younger, and a better dancer than her! But seriously, I think I’m probably better than her.
Have you thought of the perfect ending for this fight?
If possible, I want to win by KO. I want to be the one who can knock Ham out. But in reality, Ham is very tough, and I think I may win by decision