Stamp Fairtex details how ONE Warrior Series changed her life upside down

LockerRoom Team

17 Mar 2020

In less than two years since joining ONE Championship, Thailand’s Stamp Fairtex has shot to superstardom, not just in her home country, but around the world. The former two-sport ONE World Champion is now without question a top contender for a world title in a third sport.

She has become one of the promotion’s top talents and is a fan favourite no matter where it is that she makes that walk down to the ONE Circle.

Stamp is the perfect combination of skill, talent, and charisma in an exciting and explosive package. For the young star, however, all of this has become possible because of the opportunity that was presented to her through Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series.

“If I had not been at the ONE Warrior Series that day, I wouldn’t have the chance to fight in ONE Championship today,” she said.

Stamp was one of many hopefuls in Bangkok, Thailand, who were given a shot at competing on the biggest martial arts stage in the world, and was one of the fortunate few who were hand-picked by the legend himself.

“That day was incredible because I got to meet Rich Franklin in person. He’s a world champion,” Stamp recalled. “Rich Franklin said congratulations for becoming a ONE Warrior Series prospect. He said he was happy for me, and that he wanted me to keep improving and making a name for myself. I felt so relieved when I heard the results. I made it. They chose me,” she added.

Franklin knew that Stamp had the potential to become a world champion in Muay Thai or Kickboxing, but it was Stamp’s desire to compete in mixed martial arts that ultimately brought her to ONE Championship.

“When I knew that I had qualified, the first thing that came to my mind was that I finally had a chance to compete in a real mixed martial arts competition,” Stamp stated.

Instead of immediately pursuing her mixed martial arts dream however, Stamp decided to take advantage of the availability of ONE Super Series, ONE’s striking-only spectacle. In her main roster debut, she challenged for the ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Championship.

Then an unheralded newcomer, Stamp showed that she belonged, as she stifled then-champion Kai Ting Chuang over the course of five rounds to dethrone “Killer Bee” and capture gold on her first try.

With Stamp being a Muay Thai practitioner by trade, it came as no surprise that her next assignment would present an opportunity for history -- a shot at the inaugural ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship.

Matched up against American Janet Todd, Stamp once again proved her mettle as she outgunned Todd for five rounds to make history by capturing the ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship to add to her other belt.

As they say, with great power comes great responsibility, and with two world championships in her possession, Stamp’s responsibility was to defend those titles. For her first defense of the ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship, Stamp faced arguably her toughest test to date in the form of Australian champion Alma Juniku.

Stamp and Juniku went back and forth for five action-packed rounds, but in the end, it was Stamp who walked away with a close unanimous decision win. However, it surely was no walk in the park.

While it would be easy to say that Stamp has reached the top of the mountain in her career, the 22-year old native of Rayong, Thailand knows that she still has so much to accomplish, and that includes becoming a three-sport world champion.

With her sights set on the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship in mixed martial arts, Stamp shifted to the Circle in 2019, taking on India’s Asha Roka.

With her striking already proven, Stamp showcased her evolving grappling skills by dominating Roka on the ground and eventually getting a submission victory in the third round.

It was clear that Stamp was ready for a jump in competition, and she got just that when she was matched up against Vietnamese-American veteran Bi Nguyen in her next mixed martial arts bout.

Once again, Stamp exceeded expectations as she was able to outstrike Nguyen en route to a clear unanimous decision victory and cemented her status as a legitimate contender in the ONE women’s atomweight division.

In January of 2020, Stamp turned in her most impressive performance to date as she steamrolled through Indian veteran Puja Tomar via TKO in just under one round to make it a perfect 4-0 slate in mixed martial arts.

The sky’s the limit for Stamp, who has already accomplished so much at just 22 years of age. However her career unfolds and whatever success she attains, Stamp will be the first to tell you that it would not have been possible had it not been for Rich Franklin and the ONE Warrior Series.

“If it wasn’t for that chance, it’s very likely that I won’t be here,” Stamp said. “Maybe I would have ended up finding my way here eventually, but ONE Warrior Series is definitely the reason why I am here today and it’s the reason why I am who I am today, and for that I will always be grateful.”

For Stamp, the ONE Warrior Series opens doors for hundreds, maybe even thousands of aspiring martial artists that, like her, just needed that one big break.

“Whatever I go on to achieve in this industry, whether I become a two-sport champion, a three-sport champion, or even if I get to be recognized as one of the best ever, I will always look back to that day that Rich Franklin gave me the opportunity to be on ONE Warrior Series and I will always be grateful that he saw me as deserving to earn a spot on the ONE Championship roster,” Stamp stated.

Despite since surrendering her kickboxing World Championship in a rematch with American Todd, Stamp’s biggest dream remains the same, and that’s to make even more history in the combat sports world.

It is, after all, the very dream that brought her to ONE Warrior Series and eventually to ONE Championship.

“I will compete in mixed martial arts next, and I hope that I can win my third belt in it. I want to make history by becoming the first female athlete to claim World Championships in three different martial arts.”

Stamp Fairtex details how ONE Warrior Series changed her life upside down

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