Stamp Fairtex made history this past Friday, or Saturday morning in Asia, by becoming the very first three-sport World Champion in the history of ONE Championship.
The Thai superstar secured a third-round knockout victory over the no.2-ranked Ham Seo Hee in the main event of ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs. Ham, which was broadcast on Prime Video. With this triumph, Stamp became only the second woman to hold the ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Title since its inception in 2016.
Stamp Fairtex becomes the first three-sport ONE world champion at ONE Fight Night 14
After the fight, an ecstatic Stamp couldn’t contain her excitement when asked about her victory. “It feels amazing,” she told Mitch Chilson in the center of the Circle. “I have made my own history today, and it feels incredible.” Before the main event, the long-reigning divisional queen, Angela Lee, had announced her retirement from active competition, choosing to focus on Fightstory, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting people dealing with mental health issues. With Angela Lee’s retirement announcement, the main event match became a contest for the vacant championship instead of an interim one.
It was a bittersweet moment for Stamp, who has always openly admired ‘Unstoppable,’ especially in MMA. “I just want to say I love you so much, and you’re my idol always,” Stamp conveyed to Lee, who is 25 years old herself. “I’m very sad that she doesn’t want to continue her journey in MMA or in ONE Championship,” she expressed through a translator.“I want to let her know that she has always been my idol since the first day I started MMA, and she will always be my idol. I love you, Angela.” The path to victory was far from easy. Both fighters approached the first round cautiously, trying to gauge each other’s strengths early on. The action heated up in the second round, with Ham momentarily rocking Stamp.
However, the Fairtex fighter managed to recover and even attempted an impressive armbar before the round concluded. “My feeling in the second round was that I had to survive. I had to get out of this,” she recounted as she remembered the action-packed round. “It was like I accidentally fell, so that’s how it was. But I’m glad I got out of it. I almost had her, but the bell saved her.” Her exceptional performance not only earned Stamp the historic title but also a substantial $50,000.
Fairtex expresses gratitude to fans, Angela Lee and Chatri Sityodtong
Stamp became emotional as she soaked in her moment of victory, but made sure to express her gratitude to those who supported her success. She also revealed that despite not feeling her best, she was thankful for her supportive team and fans who propelled her to victory.
“Thank you, Chatri, for believing in me, for supporting me. In this fight, I didn’t believe in myself because I was sick. I wasn’t at 100%. But today, I did it, and my body feels great,” she said. “Thank you, Khun Chatri, for believing in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. Thank you, Mr. Wong, thank you, Prem, thank you, Fairtex team, thank you for supporting me. Thank you, my family, thank you, Angela, thank you, everyone! I don’t know what else to say, but thank you for loving me.”
