Yu Yau Pui will welcome Amy Pirnie to ONE Championship on Friday, August 2, at ONE Fight Night 24. The Hong Kong native has been perfect thus far in her ONE tenure, but a matchup against the crafty Scottish vet could be her biggest test to date. Yu will not enter the atomweight Muay Thai collision blind, as she has had her eyes on Pirnie for quite some time.
“I actually heard about Pirnie a very long time ago because she’s very renowned as a female fighter. She’s very strong and very powerful. When I first heard her name, I don’t remember if I had even started competing yet. I know that she has so much experience on many platforms and many big stages. I consider myself an underdog,” Yu described to ONE.
Pirnie’s power was at the top of Yu’s list of concerns. The 31-year-old noted her opponent’s muscular build but believes that could ultimately be her downfall. Yu plans to weaponize her cardio and drag the Muay Thai slugfest into the deep waters.
Your first look at the ONE Fight Night 24 on @primevideo card, headlined by American stars Jarred Brooks and Danielle Kelly, plus another action-packed lineup from top to bottom 🤩🇺🇸 Which fights are you tuning in for on August 2?#ONEFightNight24 | Fri Aug 2 at 8PM ET/5 PM PT… pic.twitter.com/XQiDRDBubN
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) July 23, 2024
“I don’t know about the beginning of the fight, but I hope it will last for three rounds, where I can definitely find her weaknesses and find a way to work through [her strengths]. I don’t like predictions. I know that anything could happen inside the ring and everything is possible. I’ll just let my fight tell the story,” Yu said.
Entering with an underdog mindset also means Yu feels she has nothing to lose. The KF 1 representative has no fear of adding a notch to her loss column because she competes to show off her skills more than anything else. Thus far, her skills have been good enough for a 6-0 promotional record and the notoriety of a top contender.
“I’m not the kind of person who’s very afraid of losing. I don’t think anybody can be undefeated for their entire career. There are so many opponents who are stronger than you, smarter than you. You will be defeated one day. The problem is how you take the failure and how you treat it as a lesson to grow, to learn, to reveal the mistakes, and to improve yourself. That’s all that matters,” the atomweight striker remarked.
Pushing her winning streak another match forward will unquestionably draw the attention of ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues. Yu is not banking on this being a title eliminator, but still has made it known she is eyeing the gold. Whatever comes next, Yu wants to prove she is ready for her chance at ultimate glory.
“I don’t know [if a win would earn a World Title shot]. It depends on ONE Championship. It depends on Mr. Chatri. But now that I’m in ONE Championship, when the time comes, I’ll beat her if I can. She’s very strong. Not just her body, of course, but her mindset is also very strong. After she gave birth, she came back and defended her title. I think this is a very powerful thing for female fighters to do. She’s also very skillful. I respect her a lot,” Yu said.
ONE Fight Night 24 on Prime Video airs live on Friday, August 2, from Bangkok. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The event is free for all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada.
