Some comebacks roar. And there are comebacks whispered, tempered with emotion, healing, and the weight of time. Stamp Fairtex, the Muay Thai Queen, falls into the latter. She’s not just fighting again, she’s reclaiming a part of herself that’s been missing from the global stage.
A Career That Burned Bright (And Fast)
When Stamp Fairtex stepped onto the ONE Championship stage, she didn’t just win, she rewrote the record books.
Her first major splash came in 2018 when she defeated Kai Ting Chuang to capture the ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Title. It was her debut year, and she had already beaten a reigning world champion. The following year, she did something no female athlete had ever achieved in the promotion: she captured the ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title, dethroning Janet Todd in a hard-fought battle. Two world titles, in two different sports, within months of each other.
That alone could have cemented her as a ONE Championship great. But Stamp wasn’t done. Instead of staying in her striking comfort zone, she took the leap into mixed martial arts, a completely different world where kicks and punches had to be blended with takedowns, wrestling scrambles, and submissions. Many doubted her transition, but Stamp silenced critics quickly, racking up wins with surprising grappling finesse.
In 2021, she entered the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix, beating Alyona Rassohyna, Julie Mezabarba, and Ritu Phogat to take the silver belt. That victory set up a showdown with longtime queen Angela Lee, and although Stamp came up short in that fight, she proved she could hang with the very best in MMA.
Her crowning MMA moment came in 2023 when she faced Ham Seo Hee for the interim ONE Atomweight MMA World Title. Stamp’s striking was sharp, her composure unshakable; she scored a TKO and made history yet again by becoming the first person to hold ONE World Titles in kickboxing, Muay Thai, and MMA.
By her mid-twenties, Stamp had gone from a promising prospect from Rayong, Thailand, to arguably the most accomplished female fighter in ONE Championship history. Three sports. Three belts. A global fanbase. And a fighting style that blends ferocity with the kind of joy and charisma that makes people tune in not just to watch her fight, but to watch her be herself.
Roadblocks On The Way Back
Then a knee injury hit. Not the kind you skate over. The kind that derails momentum. Stamp was forced out of a unification fight in 2024 vs. Denice Zamboanga. The injury lingered through camps, forcing her to relinquish her MMA title in 2025 and postpone ONE’s Denver card, too.
Her comeback isn’t framed by hype. Instead, her words echo vulnerability: “It’s difficult to predict anything,” she admitted, acknowledging the emotional weight of stepping back into the spotlight after nearly two years away. That humility makes her return feel less like a scheduled event and more like a chapter being earned again.
The Comeback Opponent: Kana Morimoto
Stamp’s returning under kickboxing rules to face Kana “Krusher Queen” Morimoto at ONE 173 in Tokyo on November 16, a match brimming with potential and tension.
Kana’s Strengths:
- Fighting on home soil, with a crowd that will feed her energy.
- Aggressive, forward-pressure striking that could test Stamp’s movement and timing.
Stamp’s Path To Victory:
- Lean on her wealth of experience across three sports and her ability to adjust mid-fight.
- Use pacing and timing to neutralize Kana’s aggression, turning it into openings for her own strikes.
- Draw on the mental edge of a champion who’s been to the top and fought her way back from setbacks.
A Different Kind Of Comeback
Stamp isn’t chasing records this time. She’s chasing her own reflection, clarity over confusion, resilience over fear, legacy over applause.
She knows the fight isn’t just against Kana. It’s against the creeping self-doubt that comes when you’ve been away too long. But that’s the fight she’s always been willing to take. And this time, the reward isn’t just a win on paper, it’s proof to herself that she still belongs among the best in the world.
You may also like:
Kickboxing Vs. Muay Thai: Understanding The Differences (And Surprising Similarities)
