Jihin Radzuan carries Malaysia’s flag as she walks into ONE Championship’s Circle to face Itsuki Hirata at ONE X in March. (ONE Championship)
J
ihin Radzuan is confident she can neutralize Stamp Fairtex’s striking game in a high-stacked mixed martial arts bout at ONE Fight Night 2: Xiong vs. Lee III on Saturday morning on Oct. 1 in the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The atomweight star believes that her upcoming foe, who was widely praised for winning the ONE Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing and Muay Thai World Titles early in her career at ONE Championship’s global stage, doesn’t possess terrifying stand-up game and that she is unfazed by her past accolades.
“I think the way she sells herself as this feared Muay Thai and Kickboxing World Champion makes everyone think that her striking is so good. It isn’t right up there, but it’s good. One thing I can say about her striking is that it’s fast. Her hands, her kicks and elbows can come at you quickly,” the Malaysian said in her pre-fight interview.
“It will work against women who are unsure on how to strike. As for me, I do know how to handle it. But I would not want to discredit her striking. If I cannot handle it well when we fight, it’s going to be troublesome and stressful to deal with,” she added.
Both competitors are currently sitting on ONE’s atomweight rankings and vying for a chance to challenge divisional queen Angela Lee, who will move up a weight class to take on strawweight world champion Xiong Jing Nan in ONE FIght Night 2’s main event fight.
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A win against Stamp will not only extend Radzuan’s three-bout winning streak, but also proves that the 24-year-old star belongs in the world championship conversation. Moreover, she has experience of fighting in any range and area.
“If it ends up in a striking fight, the battle will be won by the one who can stay patient and land the bigger and most powerful shots. If I’m lacking that killer instinct, I think she can [compete] with me on the ground,” she said.
“But if I do everything as planned, she doesn’t stand a chance at all.”
Before Jihin Radzuan steps into the Circle, be sure to catch all the action at ONE 161: Petchmorakot vs. Tawanchai on NETVERSE, Vidio.com, Kaskus TV, and MAXstream at 5 p.m. Western Indonesia Time (WIB) on Thursday, Sept. 29. The main card will follow on NETVERSE, Vidio.com, Kaskus TV and MAXstream at 7:30 p.m. WIB. Also, NET TV will air a same-day delay at 10:30 p.m. WIB.
This article was published in collaboration with ONE Championship.