ONE Championship: strawweight queen Xiong Jingnan reigns supreme with decision over Tiffany Teo at Inside the Matrix
- China’s strawweight champ makes fourth defence of title against valiant Singaporean Teo
- ‘I’ve gone through a lot this year but I am very happy to be able to defend my title,’ says Xiong
Xiong Jingnan reigns supreme over ONE Championship’s strawweight division and – try as she might – there isn’t much Tiffany Teo can do about it.
The Chinese champ (15-2) kept her belt with a unanimous decision over the Singaporean (9-2) on the Inside the Matrix card in Singapore on Friday night, after landing relentless right hands and brushing off every attack Teo could muster, on the feet and on the ground.
“I have matured as a fighter,” said Xiong afterwards. “I’ve gone through a lot this year but I am very happy to be able to defend my title. Training has been hard because of the restrictions but I have still improved. The year has made me reflect on myself and how I approach competition and techniques.”
This was much closer than the first time the pair met – at Kings of Courage card in January, 2018 – when Teo succumbed to Xiong’s greater striking power in the fourth round.
The fight started with 32-year-old Xiong landing a right hook flush to Teo’s face and though the Singaporean kept coming forward, and she did some damage of her own late, she ultimately proved no match for the Chinese fighter’s all-round game.