Alyse Anderson jumped into ONE Championship during their 2021 ONE Atomweight World Grand Prix. Although she lost her debut match against Itsuki Hirata, the American returned with a vengeance at ONE 157 against Asha Roka. On Friday, May 5, she will get her biggest opportunity to date.
Anderson will battle top-ranked atomweight contender Stamp Fairtex. “Lil’ Savage’ jumped on the chance to face the division’s top contender as she wants to force herself into the title hunt. And that could come even more quickly as ONE Chairman and CEO is eyeing a possible interim title tilt between the winner of ONE Fight Night 10‘s matchup and Seo Hee Ham.
“I said yes right away because she’s the number one contender. I’m not ranked. I didn’t care at all. That’s a great opportunity. What better way to get in the rankings and to climb the rankings than to beat number one,” said Anderson.
Not only is the American Top Team athlete excited about the possibilities that come with fighting Stamp, but she is also thrilled to compete on home soil. It will be her first match in nearly four years in the United States. Anderson was blowing up her manager’s phone when ONE’s U.S. debut was announced.
“Ever since they announced that they were coming to Colorado, I was super eager to get on the card. I was bugging my manager from the beginning, asking if they had any offers yet. And they only announced the first fight a couple of weeks [ago], and I was just waiting to hear more matchups or anything. To be one of the first matchups released was super exciting to start promoting that card early,” said the atomweight.
Anderson’s trials and tribulations inside the Circle have her more confident heading into the match against Stamp. The American noted how the rise in competition had forced her to improve all aspects of her game. That is part of the reason she made the switch to ATT.
“I feel like I’ve matured as a fighter over the [years], especially in ONE, because I’ve had to and because the competition is so good. I’ve been able to adjust my game plan. Previously, I would fight to fight, and whatever happened would happen. But now I can dial in and train a little more specifically for a fight,” said Anderson.
A solid game plan will be crucial against Stamp. The Fairtex Gym representative stormed through the ONE Atomweight World Grand Prix and finished by showing her submission skills against Ritu Phogat. Although she came up short against Angela Lee for the gold, she quickly returned with a dominant win over Jihin Radzuan.
The Thai star has shown incredible improvement as an all-around athlete, and Anderson expects those improvements will continue ahead of this matchup. Even though this is a striker vs. grappler match on paper, the Michigan native is keenly aware of the powerful counterstrikes of Stamp. Anderson is planning a more tactical approach to this gigantic opportunity.
“I’m going to be careful because I don’t want to be exposing [myself], like dropping my hands for takedowns and stuff just because she is so fast and quick, with so much power. Just making sure that when we do go to the ground that it’s on my terms compared to the last fight,” said “Lil’ Savage.”
Unsurprisingly, Anderson is predicting a submission finish. She feels her ground game is superior and will show once the action hits the mat. She is planning on a standout performance in Denver to show the world she is ready for the next level and to prove all of her doubters wrong.
“I just know that I’m going [in the right direction]. People are just underestimating me. So this fight is just a great fight. Showing why ONE signed me and why I’m in this division because I think I still need to prove myself,” said Anderson.
ONE Fight Night 10 emanates from the 1stBank Center on Friday, May 5. The event is free for all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada. The action starts live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
