Stamp Fairtex's two-year battle with knee injuries finally ended at ONE 173 in November, and while the 28-year-old lost her comeback fight to Japan's Kana Morimoto, she considers 2025 a successful year in which she accomplished far more than just competitive goals.
The former three-sport ONE World Champion stepped back into competition after the longest absence of her career, facing the four-time K-1 Champion in an atomweight kickboxing clash.
Morimoto claimed a unanimous decision victory, but for Stamp, simply returning to the Circle represented a significant personal triumph.
When she finally competed at ONE 173, Stamp experienced the inevitable challenges that accompany such lengthy layoffs.
"I felt very nervous and excited. I think I was a bit rusty because I hadn't fought in such a long time. My mind knew what strikes to throw, but my body wouldn't follow, probably due to fatigue as well," the Thai striker admitted.
Rather than dwelling on the loss, Stamp framed the bout as a necessary step in her competitive resurrection.
"Even though I didn't win, I'm not disappointed. It was just a warm-up fight. I'm proud of myself for getting back into the ring," she declared.
The Fairtex Training Center star's journey back to competition was fraught with setbacks. After capturing the ONE Women's Atomweight MMA World Title in September 2023 with a third-round TKO of South Korean legend Ham Seo Hee, Stamp was set to defend against Denice Zamboanga in 2024.
The knee injury that derailed that defense proved more serious than initially anticipated.
Stamp's rehabilitation extended through 2024 and into 2025, with another attempted comeback against Zamboanga falling through when injury concerns persisted.
Eventually, the Pattaya-based fighter made the difficult decision to vacate her MMA crown, allowing interim champion Zamboanga to be elevated to undisputed status. The move cleared the path for Stamp to return without the pressure of an immediate title defense.
The 28-year-old wasted no time identifying her next target, a potential showdown with Zamboanga that would pit her against the fighter now holding the title she once possessed.
"Of course, I still want to fight. Denice is another opponent who would be a very challenging and exciting match for me," Stamp stated.
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