Stamp And Kana Reflect on Pressure, Legacy, and Expectations Before High-Stakes ONE 173 Clash

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ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri will mark the return of one of the biggest stars in
combat sports, Stamp Fairtex. The former three-sport ONE World Champion is set to face Japanese ace Kana Morimoto in a three-round kickboxing thriller.

On 16 November, Stamp will be part of the blockbuster lineup at ONE 173, airing live from Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. What makes her return even more special is that it falls on her birthday, following a long layoff due to injury.

The 27-year-old Thai megastar, who suffered a serious knee injury, is ecstatic about her return. She admitted that a lot of time has passed since her last fight and she won't put too much pressure on herself. Additionally, she acknowledged her opponent's strengths.

"I'm excited! It'll be a good occasion for me since it'll be my birthday. [Kana] has exceptional speed, [she's] a fast and confident striker. This will be a chance to prove myself, whether I can make a comeback or not," Stamp said.

"It's been a long time since I last fought. It's difficult to predict anything from both her and my side. I'm not pressuring myself to win. I just want to know if I'm recovered enough to continue this path. Also, I want to see how nervous I'd get after such a long time."

However, her comeback fight won't be an easy one, as "Krusher Queen" will aim to spoil her return on home soil. Kana has established herself as a kickboxing veteran with a wealth of experience.

With three bouts under the ONE banner, she gave tough fight to legends like Anissa Meksen and Phetjeeja, but ultimately fell short to the latter. Now, she holds nothing but respect for her upcoming challenger, whom she considers a trailblazer in women's martial arts.

"When you think of women's martial arts in ONE, you think of Stamp. She's iconic, the only athlete, male or female, to win World Titles in kickboxing, Muay Thai, and MMA. She can do it all," Kana said.

"My fight with Phetjeeja changed me. Stamp loves to trade, and I'm ready to stand and bang with her. I'll be looking for the knockout. Losing at the last Japan event still eats at me. That's why this fight means so much."