ONE Championship: Stamp Fairtex wants to focus on MMA in 2021, starting with atomweight grand prix
- Former ONE Muay Thai and kickboxing champ open to rematches for either belt but will prioritise mixed martial arts
- ‘I think she changed the rules too often, her body was kinda confused,’ says teammate Wondergirl Fairtex
It’s been a chastening year for everybody, but few more so in the world of combat sports than Stamp Fairtex.
The 22-year-old began 2020 on top of two divisions across two different sports in ONE Championship. But Stamp saw Janet Todd snatch her atomweight kick-boxing belt by split decision in Singapore at February’s King of the Jungle, just before the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to ONE’s schedule for five months.
When the Asian martial arts organisation got back in action in Thailand, Stamp then lost her atomweight Muay Thai title to Brazil’s Allycia Rodrigues in a shock ending to the headliner at August’s A New Breed. The unanimous decision loss came just a month after Stamp had stretched her MMA record to 4-0 in a lopsided first-round TKO against the outmatched Puja Tomar.
“I think she changed the rules too often,” teammate Wondergirl Fairtex told SCMP MMA. “This month MMA, kickboxing another month, then Muay Thai – I think her body was kinda confused.
“If the atomweight grand prix is happening, I think she should focus on MMA. It’s better for her because it’s a big match, a good opportunity to fight.
“She’s one of the best strikers in the atomweight class, she can win this. All she needs is just recovery and to train hard. I think she will come back next year for sure.”
Stamp also confirmed she is going to prioritise MMA in 2021, starting with the eight-woman atomweight grand prix championship tournament announced by ONE chairman Chatri Sityodtong to determine pregnant Angela Lee’s next challenger.
“Yes, I want to be in it,” she told SCMP MMA. “I think I will just focus on MMA, but if Chatri gives me a shot at one of the belts, kickboxing or Muay Thai, OK, I want it. It’s up to Chatri and ONE Championship, but for now I want to focus on MMA.
“I had too many mistakes against Rodrigues and the elbow broke my nose. It changed the course of the fight. It’s still a little problem. But I can fight [in January] because everything will be OK. I want the rematch. I can beat her.”
