EXCLUSIVE | Stamp Fairtex seeks to inspire young female fighters by becoming three-sport champion

At just 21 years old, Stamp Fairtex is already the ONE Super Series Kickboxing Atomweight World Champion. When she battles Janet Todd at ONE: Call to Greatness in Singapore on February 22, she’ll look to capture the ONE Super Series Muay Thai Atomweight Title and become the first two-sport champion in ONE Championship history.

As this potentially history-making challenge towers on the horizon, Stamp has her nose to the grindstone.

“The training is good,” she told BJPENN.com’s Tom Taylor. “I train very hard because I’m preparing my body for a tough battle.”

In California’s Todd, Stamp will face a fast and ferocious Muay Thai fighter with years of experience in the ring. While the Thai foresees a tough fight, she’s confident she can get the job done.

“I’m not worried about the bout because the rules are Muay Thai,” Stamp said. “I know I can do well against her under Muay Thai rules. The noticeable trait of my opponent is her speed. She is very fast. I think she has a lot to offer. I don’t have to be worry because I believe in myself.

“I must win. I will perform to the best of my abilities. I will use my knowledge, skills and experience to beat her.”

The prospect of winning a ONE Championship title in Muay Thai is an exciting one for Stamp Fairtex, who grew up studying the art of eight limbs in a family full of fighters.

“Thailand is the birth place of Muay Thai,” she said. “I’ve been practicing it all my life. I am happy to compete in a Muay Thai bout in ONE Super Series.

“It will be an absolute honor to win world titles in both Muay Thai and kickboxing under ONE Super Series.”

If Stamp captures this Muay Thai championship, her plan is to drift between Muay Thai and kickboxing to actively defend both titles. She admits it can be a little tricky to transition from one ruleset to the other, but she is confident she can make it work.

“It’s not easy because the rule set is very different,” she said. “But it won’t be a problem. I have been doing Muay Thai since I was a young girl.”

As if the prospect of holding titles in two different sports isn’t impressive enough, Stamp Fairtex also her eyes on a ONE Championship MMA title. While striking is her bread and butter, she’s been training feverishly at Fairtex Pattaya, slowly adding a ground game to her already extensive martial arts arsenal.

“It is still a goal for me to win a title in MMA,” she said. “I still do mixed martial arts training. I plan to compete under mixed martial arts rules this year, but my team asked if I wanted to compete in a Muay Thai bout. It’s hard to pass on that.”

If Stamp can earn herself a title shot in MMA, it’s very likely that it will come against reigning ONE Atomweight World Champ Angela Lee — a woman she looks up to greatly.

“Angela Lee is my idol,” she said. “She is very talented. If I have the opportunity to compete with her, I think that match will be the biggest bout of my career as a martial artist.”

While it’s still a far-off possibility, Stamp is understandably very excited about the prospect of becoming a three-sport champion under the ONE banner. She sees this mountainous accomplishment as a way to put herself and her coaches on the map.

“The goal is to become a three-sport world champion,” Stamp said. “If I am able to do that, I think it is the culmination of all the work that I did to reach that kind of success. It also says a lot about the quality of training that I have under my coaches too.”

While Stamp Fairtex is keen to become a three-sport champion for her own benefit, that’s not the only reason she hopes to accomplish this feat.

In the earlier phases of her career, she says she was often ridiculed for being a female fighter. She was told repeatedly that Muay Thai was not a ladylike pursuit.

Today, she admits, Thai society is far more accepting of women in combat sports, but she feels that there is work to be done, and hopes that by winning multiple titles in ONE Championship, she can help inspire women in Thailand and even further afield.

“Society is now accepting the idea of women competing in combat sports, which is really great,” she said. “Martial arts is great platform to show the world that sports should be an even playing field for both men and women.

“It’s truly an honor and a privilege when people tell me that they look up to me,” she continued. “I always carry myself like a true martial artist because that’s the real essence of martial arts, to be a good example. I will show that women can do what men can do as well. If you are doing what you love, just do your best, do whatever you want to do, and don’t feel bad about what you do. Follow your dreams.”

“I want to be a champion. Not only a champion, but an inspiration to everyone.”

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Stamp Fairtex will take the next big step in the direction of her massive goals this February, when she battles Janet Todd for Muay Thai glory. She promises not to disappoint in this fight.

“I will not disappoint in my bout in Singapore,” she said. “I will make sure that Thailand will make history in ONE Championship.”

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 1/15/2019.