Janet Todd’s kicks may be the key to beating Lara Fernandez and claiming Muay Thai gold

Janet Todd’s leg kicks may be the key to beating Lara Fernandez and claiming Muay Thai interim gold this Friday, July 22.

ONE Championship recently shared a short clip of Janet Todd in one of her earlier kickboxing bouts against Wang Chin Long at ONE: Warriors of Light to showcase her elite kickboxing skills.

In the footage below, ‘JT’ is seen combining a left hook with a powerful right kick to the temple, to disorient her opponent. 'JT' went onto utilize her debilitating leg kicks throughout the bout, knocking down Long three times before forcing her opponent to call it quits in round two.

ONE titled the footage with this caption:

"You are watching a MASTER 😤 Janet Todd and Lara Fernandez square off for the ONE Interim Atomweight Muay Thai World Title this FRIDAY! @jmcoakle"

Watch the Instagram clip below:

Under the kickboxing ruleset, competitors heavily utilize punches and leg kicks to score points. Todd did this effectively against Wang to create openings for herself and allow lethal combinations to follow through.

Often times ‘JT’s’ timing, speed, and power are too much for her opponents to bear, The American has recorded three technical knockouts with leg kicks alone in her last few outings.

However, under the Muay Thai ruleset, this is where Todd excels the most. She can utilize elbow strikes, knees and kicks to do some real damage to her next opponent, Lara Fernandez.

Originally a Muay Thai practitioner, Todd moved to kickboxing following her debut loss against Stamp Fairtex at ONE: Call to Greatness. Building on her skillset, 'JT' naturally found her way to the top again and has quickly become a force to be reckoned with.

Moreover, with convincing back-to-back wins against Alma Juniku and Anne Line Hogstad in Muay Thai, it was only a matter of time before Todd contended for a world title gold in her own sport. There’s no denying, Janet Todd wants that belt.

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Janet Todd could go kick for kick against Lara Fernandez, make this a battle of willpower

Janet Todd could go kick-for-kick against Lara Fernandez, making this world title bout a battle of willpower.

As ‘JT’ explained in an interview with SCMP MMA, leading up to the highly-anticipated bout, Todd expects a battle of leg kicks, elbow strikes, and dirty clinch work.

At the end of the day, leg kicks will be the key to her success against her Spanish rival. Just days away, the American is on the verge of becoming a two-sport world champion.

If she manages to beat 'Pizza Power', 'JT' will be one step away from a unification showdown with the original Muay Thai world title holder, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues.

Check out the full interview with Janet todd below: