ONE Championship: Phetjeeja ready to ‘take down’ Meksen in debut title shot at ONE Friday Fights 46
- Thailand’s Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom is a rising star in the organisation, but this week’s bout will be her first in kickboxing
- The Thai fighter says she knows she’s the underdog against a French opponent with a fearsome reputation
A rising star on ONE Championship’s roster, Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom has already won four fights this year, earning her a title shot this week.
The Thai fighter will battle Anissa Meksen for the interim atomweight kickboxing belt at ONE Friday Fights 46, and Phetjeeja is the first to acknowledge she will be facing an opponent with a fearsome reputation in Bangkok.
But despite making her debut in the sport at Lumpinee Stadium and going up against “one of the best strikers in the world”, Phetjeeja believes her training has equipped her with the skills to “take down” her French rival.
“I realise that I’m an underdog when it comes to this fight with Anissa both physically and with the experience in kickboxing,” she said. “It’s my first time in kickboxing while she is number one in her division but I don’t want to worry much. I’ll do my best.”
Meksen, meanwhile, has been out of action for a year, but there is plenty of fight footage for Phetjeeja to pore over and she doesn’t see many holes in her opponents technique.
“What I’ve learned from watching and studying videos is that she is good at almost everything,” Phetjeeja said. “She can attack whether she moves forward or backward. She has good punches and kicks. She also has good hooks and combinations. And she is really strong. She also has quick footwork to step in and out.”
