One of ONE Championship’s biggest stars did not see any action in 2024. Stamp Fairtex looked to have a big year lined up with two title tilts, but a torn meniscus sidelined the ONE Atomweight MMA World Champion for a full year. Inching closer to a comeback, Stamp Fairtex looked back on a trying year.
“This year, I spent a lot of time with myself and learned new things. It was a bad year, but not too bad because there were new things and new people to learn from. I could say it was a year of learning,” Stamp Fairtex said to ONE.
Stamp Fairtex Sidelined Due To Injury
Initially, Stamp was slated to defend her title for the first time against Denice Zamboanga and had a date set with Xiong Jing Nan to chase two-division MMA gold. Due to the injury, neither match happened. The Thai superstar laments the missed chances but is fueled by the absence to return in style and chase gold when she returns.
“I am very disappointed to have missed both opportunities. No one wants something like this to happen because I want everyone to remember who Stamp is and why I’m so hungry for a championship,” the 27-year-old commented.
The true training has started💪💪
I am working on muscle power, speed and coordination. The @go_exxentric feedback helps me to push my limits and optimise my training sessions.
Later, I can evaluate my progress with the data collected during the training sessions.❤️💪🫡. pic.twitter.com/boWU9bHRts— Stamp Fairtex (@stamp_fairtex) December 19, 2024
Stamp Fairtex Goes Under The Knife
Surgery was required to repair the injury, but the successful operation was only the first step on the journey back. The hard part has been the rehabilitation. Month after month of hard work has Stamp Fairtex nearly back to full strength, which she plans to achieve early in the new year.
We are sparring fiercely 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XP9gXxQTh8
— Stamp Fairtex (@stamp_fairtex) December 30, 2024
“Now, I can take small steps and start jogging. I had surgery on May 20, and it’s been almost seven months since then. I think by January 2025, I will be able to run short distances and start practicing kicks again,” Stamp replied.
When Stamp Fairtex is fully healthy and ready to return, the obvious matchup will be against the winner of January 10’s ONE Fight Night 27 showdown between Zamboanga and Alyona Rassohyna. The two will compete for the ONE Interim Atomweight MMA World Title. However, Stamp wants to knock off the rust with a kickboxing bout before unifying the gold.
“Right now, I want to get back into fighting. I want to step back into the ring, focus on training, and continue my recovery. I want to have a kickboxing fight before defending my belt, and I want to successfully defend my belt. I want to show everyone that Stamp is back,” the atomweight champion remarked.
How Soon Will She Return to ONE Championship?
With everything on track, Stamp Fairtex believes she can return to the global stage in the first half of 2025. Once she returns, she hopes to compete regularly across kickboxing, MMA, and Muay Thai. The history-making three-sport World Champion still wants to recapture gold in the striking arts while testing herself against the world’s elite in MMA.
“I expect to compete in May or June. By then, everything should be in place. It may be a bit delayed, but coming back at 100 percent will definitely make my performance much better than competing while still in pain. I want to fight every three months. I’m interested in all the rule sets right now. I feel very eager to be back in the ring and I am excited about the challenge of returning to the sports where I was once a champion,” Stamp offered.
