Thai star Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak will make her mixed martial arts (MMA) debut at ONE 157 on Friday. ( ONE Championship)
M
uay Thai sensation Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak returns to the ONE Championship Circle this Friday at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot, but this time, she won’t be competing in the sport she’s best known for.
Instead, the 23-year-old star will make her long-awaited debut in mixed martial arts, stepping into atomweight MMA action against India’s Zeba “Fighting Queen” Bano on the event’s lead card.
Here, we break down three reasons why Wondergirl’s first foray into the all-encompassing sport shouldn’t be missed.
#1 A dream year in the making
Though Jaroonsak is most known for her striking ability, she has been dreaming of a chance to compete in MMA for some time.
The Thai star has over 50 fights in Muay Thai and kickboxing to her name, and she is also a two-time Thailand Muay Thai Champion. But away from the striking arts, she has also been developing her ground game in the hopes of one day making the switch to mixed martial arts.
Now that the day has come, Wondergirl is excited, and fans should expect her to put on a show under ONE’s bright lights.
“I feel super happy. I've been waiting for this for years. Finally, my dream’s coming true. I thought I was going to start MMA with a small promotion first, but then I got the chance to fight in ONE,” she said.
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#2 A new challenge for the star
Wondergirl’s performances in the ONE Circle thus far have been quite dramatic. She holds a Muay Thai record of 2-1 in the promotion, with two KO/TKO wins in her first two bouts. The Marrok Force representative scored an 81-second knockout win in her debut against Brooke Farrell, and she followed that up by finishing KC Carlos in the second round of their battle.
Jaroonsak’s Muay Thai prowess is well-established, but she faces a whole new set of challenges when she switches to MMA, and her opponent, Bano, will be looking to make a name for herself in her debut on the global stage.
“Fighting Queen” holds a perfect 6-0 record in her professional career, and Wondergirl knows she may be in for a difficult first test.
“It will challenge me because I'm a striker, and MMA is kind of a new sport in Thailand. I train a lot more and spend almost half of my time on grappling to improve my skills, which has challenged me a lot,” she said.
#3 Expect the unexpected
Jaroonsak is aware that both her upcoming opponent and the global fanbase will be expecting her to tap into her striking arsenal to get the job done on Friday night. But the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt is eager to shock them all by highlighting her growing skill set on the canvas.
Wondergirl has been training and competing in grappling for some time and has a growing collection of medals in both gi (training uniform) and non-gi BJJ, meaning fans should be prepared for anything when this atomweight firefight goes down.
“I'm not scared. I've been training [in MMA] for like two years already. I'm not just Muay Thai or striking. I think maybe you guys might see my submission skills too,” she said.
Watch ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot live on NETVERSE, Vidio, Kaskus TV or MAXstream, beginning with the lead card at 3:30 p.m. Western Indonesia Time (WIB) on Friday, May 20.
The main card broadcasts live on NETVERSE, Vidio.com, Kaskus TV, and MAXstream at 7:30 p.m. WIB. Also, NET TV will air a same-day delayed broadcast at 10:30 p.m. WIB.
This article is published in collaboration with ONE Championship.