ONE Championship Kickboxing Queen Phetjeeja Ruled Out of Prifti Title Fight with Injury
ONE Women's Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom has been forced to withdraw from her upcoming title defense.
The Thai queen suffered a hand injury in training camp, and the severity of the damage has ruled her out of her scheduled matchup against Greek challenger Antonia Prifti at The Inner Circle 28 on Friday, August 28. The fight has been pulled from the card.
Phetjeeja’s withdrawal is a significant blow to a title defense that had generated considerable anticipation.
Prifti, a former K-1 Women's Flyweight Champion, was set to make her ONE Championship debut in the world title fight, one of the more high-profile debut bookings the promotion had made for the atomweight kickboxing division this year. Both the debut and the title fight will now have to wait for a new date.
Phetjeeja's Hand Injury Ends Her Title Defense Plans at The Inner Circle 28
Phetjeeja's injury comes at an unfortunate moment in her career. The 24-year-old from has been one of the busiest and most ambitious titleholders in ONE Championship, recently stepping outside kickboxing to challenge reigning ONE Women's Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues for two-sport glory.
That challenge ended in a hard-fought defeat, and a successful defense of her kickboxing crown against Prifti would have provided an immediate bounce-back moment.
Her road to the championship gold was built on some of the most impressive performances in the atomweight division's history. She racked up four TKO victories in Muay Thai matches to earn a six-figure main roster contract and then defeated legendary Anissa "C18" Meksen to claim the ONE Interim Atomweight Kickboxing World Championship in December 2023.
A unification title victory over Janet "JT" Todd and a successful defense against Japan's Kana "Krusher Queen" Morimoto cemented her status as one of the finest female strikers in the world.
Prifti's ONE Championship Debut and Title Shot Are Now on Hold
The withdrawal is equally disappointing for Prifti, who had been handed one of the most remarkable debut opportunities in recent ONE Championship memory.
The 24-year-old Greek striker carried a 25-3 career record and the credentials of a former K-1 Women's Flyweight Champion into what would have been both her ONE Championship debut and a world title fight on the same night, a combination that very few fighters ever get the chance to experience.
Her resume includes the K-1 Women's Flyweight Championship, claimed by defeating Kana, and a victory over fellow ONE Championship competitor Tessa De Kom, alongside several other titles accumulated across her professional career.
The depth of that resume had made her a credible challenger for the ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Title despite arriving without prior ONE Championship experience.
What Is Next for Phetjeeja and When Could She Return
The immediate priority for Phetjeeja is a full recovery from the hand injury that forced her withdrawal. No timeline has been placed on her return by ONE Championship, and the severity of the damage suggests the promotion is not rushing her back before she is fully fit.
Her most recent competitive outing was the hard-fought loss to Rodrigues in the atomweight Muay Thai title challenge, meaning she has not had a winning result since defeating Martyna Dominczak, giving her added motivation to return with a strong performance whenever she is cleared to compete.
The atomweight kickboxing division will be watching closely. Phetjeeja's 8-1 ONE record and status as the undisputed champion mean the title picture does not move without her, and the longer her absence extends, the more pressure builds for a rescheduled defense.
