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Wondergirl Prepares For MMA Debut At ONE 157

Wondergirl Prepares For MMA Debut At ONE 157
On Friday, May 20, Nat "Wondergirl" Jaroonsak will return to the global stage of ONE Championship to make her highly-anticipated mixed martial arts debut at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot.

The Thai star will meet promotional newcomer Zeba Bano in a three-round battle.

But the transition from Muay Thai to MMA was always in the plans for the Muay Thai specialist.

"I was about to retire in Muay Thai years ago. Then I started training with Fairtex [before moving to Marrok Force], and I was expected to fight in MMA, not Muay Thai. But then ONE gave me a Muay Thai contract, which was a good opportunity for me," said Wondergirl.

"ONE is the biggest promotion in Asia and in the world. It was a great opportunity, so I took it. Yeah, but I really wanted to fight MMA. But that's okay, they gave me an opportunity, so I took it. Now that I finally got an MMA contract, I'm so happy."

"I've been waiting for this for years. Finally, my dream's coming true. I thought I was going to start MMA with a small promotion first, but then I got the chance to fight in ONE. This is amazing - I'll take it."

Wondergirl has looked at footage of her unbeaten Indian opponent in preparation for the contest. Although she is complimentary of her skill set, she sees a clear path to victory in what she views as a striker vs. striker matchup.

"I am a Muay Thai professional fighter. And, of course, my striking [includes] everything in Muay Thai - elbows, knees, clinch, head kicks, low kicks, even teeps. If I'm her coach, I would find a way to take me down. But who knows? Maybe she's going to strike with me in all the rounds," said Wondergirl.

"I've never seen her fight before. I just researched her fights and her performances. But I think she's a striker. And even though she's training wrestling and BJJ to beat me, I'm not scared. I've been training [in MMA] for like two years already. I'm not just Muay Thai or striking. I think maybe you guys might see my submission skills too."

The Thailand Muay Thai National Champion sees herself finishing the bout via rear-naked choke after getting her feet wet in the first round. Already beaming with confidence, Wondergirl remains grounded as she realizes she is still developing her full arsenal of skills.

The 23-year-old does not want to jump right into the deep end of the pool before she is ready to swim with the sharks.

"I want to go slow but strong, just like Stamp [Fairtex]. She didn't face the top fighter in her very first fight in MMA. I'm not rushing. I just turned 23 and still have a lot of time to work on and improve my skills," said Wondergirl.

Wondergirl vs. KC Carlos | Full Fight Replay

Relive the electrifying women's strawweight Muay Thai showdown between Thai sensation Wondergirl Fairtex and Filipina-American warrior KC Carlos in 2020!#ONE...

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