“The Queen” Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom is heading into her World Title unification bout this weekend with a good grasp of what her opponent brings to the table.
This Friday, March 8, the interim ONE Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion will clash with reigning divisional queen Janet Todd in a World Title unification matchup in the main event of ONE Fight Night 20 inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Todd has competed in kickboxing and Muay Thai in ONE Championship and has claimed gold in both sports across a dominant seven-fight run of wins. Having studied fight tape in preparation for “JT,” Phetjeeja offered her thoughts on her and outlined why she thinks she has a good chance of overcoming the decorated American striker.
Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom has a big fight ahead of her
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“I mostly watch her Muay Thai fights. I can see she’s good at lead punches and low kicks. She can knock down anyone with her low kicks. And I don’t underestimate her high kick. She’s tall. She has a good Muay Thai stance,” she said. “Her biggest strength is her lead punch. I still can’t find her weakness yet. But I think her guard is too wide. I’m a former boxer so I know that narrow guards will throw weapons faster.” Of course, Lukjaoporongtom seems confident of her securing a victory over the retiring Todd. But she also believes that she is a better boxer than the American.
“I think I’m better than her in boxing. And I may unleash my leg kicks faster than her.” Phetjeeja has consistently impressed since arriving in ONE last year. To date, she has won all five of her bouts in the promotion and amassed four knockouts.
She thinks the fight could “go the distance”
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In her latest outing, she scored a monumental upset in her first kickboxing outing in ONE by outclassing French-Algerian striking legend Anissa Meksen to claim the interim atomweight kickboxing strap. The 22-year-old knows a Muay Thai fighter when she sees one, and she’s curious to see how Todd’s kickboxing skills stack up in real life.
Also Read: Janet Todd Ready to “Move On” After Phetjeeja Fight at ONE Fight Night 20 Will Be Her Last
Not one to underestimate her opponent, Phetjeeja is preparing to go the distance with the World Champion, who has never been finished in her amateur and professional careers. “Janet’s style is more suited to Muay Thai. She has a firm Muay Thai stance. And she fights at a slow pace like Muay Thai. But she’s the kickboxing champion. Her kickboxing skill must be good,” she said.
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“I think this fight will go the distance. But it depends on what will happen in the ring. Janet is difficult to approach. She always throws her lead punches to prevent her opponent from getting close.” All the action from ONE Fight Night 20 will be broadcast live and for free to 190 countries around the world, including Prime Video for fans across North America.
