Janet Todd will enter the ONE Championship ring one more time on Friday, March 8. The American star will attempt to unify the ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Championship against Phetjeeja at ONE Fight Night 20. Even though emotions will be running high, Todd is adamant that she is burying those feelings and giving the Thai athlete her full attention.
“All I’m focused on is the fight. So, to me, it’s very easy to compartmentalize because I’m not thinking about retirement. The focus is the fight first and foremost and being able to display my skills there. I want to end my career at the top. Be the first woman in our atomweight division to defend the World Title successfully and show age is nothing but a number,” Todd told ONE.
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Todd has had an outstanding career. She has captured both kickboxing and Muay Thai gold while competing against the division’s elite. However, there are other dreams that she hopes to achieve outside of martial arts, which drives her decision to hang up the gloves.
“I’ve made my decision. And when I make my decision, I stick to it. ONE Championship has given me such a great opportunity to achieve something that I never thought I could achieve before. I’ve got to do so many things in such a short period of time and experience so much, and meet so many lifelong friends, but I’m ready to move on to the next chapter after this fight. The other aspect of what I want in my life is to start a family, and I’m getting older. I want that part of my life as well,” Todd confessed.
Phetjeeja will be a tough test for Todd. The Thai star has been impeccable since her ONE debut, with dominant showings in Muay Thai before capturing the ONE Interim Atomweight Kickboxing World Title against Anissa Meksen. However, Todd believes she has the tools to derail “The Queen.”
As Todd prepares for battle, the Boxing Works star has been breaking down the tiny details of her opponent’s game. The strengths fly off of the screen in all of her wins. While Todd keeps her game plan close to her vest, she shared that there will be opportunities for big returns in the matchup.
“She’s very heavy-handed, very boxing-oriented. So, I’m not surprised how well she did in the fight with Anissa. I think she had a really good game plan against her. She’s definitely well-rounded. I think her strengths are her boxing and her head movement, and she showcased that in every one of her ONE Championship fights. Her weakness, without giving away too much of my game plan, is with the way she throws her punches. She kind of puts her weight behind it and leaves certain parts of herself exposed,” Todd stated.
The Southern California resident doesn’t believe she will see anything she hasn’t seen before. Todd is prepared for the forward-moving Thai style and expects to be able to counter with her own aggression. In her final outing, Todd wants to leave with the gold and send a lasting message for her career.
“Phetjeeja is aggressive, forward-moving, and I’ve dealt with fighters like that. It’s going to be action-packed because of it. It’s gonna be a good fight, and it’s not gonna be an easy fight. I’m ready for that forward pressure, and I’ve been working on different skills against it. I’m ready to just see what comes out and have fun – with my hand raised at the end and the belt over my shoulder,” Todd said.
ONE Fight Night 20 airs live on Friday, March 8. The action begins on Prime Video at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST. The event will be free for all Amazon Prime subscribers based in the U.S. and Canada.
