“I’m still inexperienced” - Japanese star Kana Morimoto vows to use her world title loss to Phetjeeja as a valuable lesson

Kana Morimoto was visibly heartbroken following her world title defeat, but she vowed to use that loss as motivation the next time she steps between the ropes. The Japanese superstar fell short in her bid for the ONE atomweight kickboxing world title when she lost to Phetjeeja via unanimous decision at the stacked ONE 172 card on Sunday at the historic Saitama Super Arena.

Taking to Instagram, Kana vowed to put on a better outing as she restarts her climb to the world title picture.

Kana Morimoto posted:

"I've learned a lot from different fighters and as a person, and although I'm still inexperienced, I'm moving forward one step at a time."

Kana is one of the most decorated female fighters of all time, with a resume filled with victories and world title wins.

The 32-year-old is a multi-time K-1 Kickboxing and KRUSH champion and was Beyond Kickboxing's Female Fighter of the Year in 2022.

Determined to put on a show for her home fans, Kana attempted to bring the fight to Phetjeeja from the opening bell.

Phetjeeja, however, showed her class in front of the thousands of Japanese fans in attendance.

The woman nicknamed 'The Queen' was a master in operating at different speeds and had a counter for everything Kana threw at her.

Phetjeeja and Kana went at each other throughout the five-round tussle, but the Thai superstar was far too powerful in most of the exchanges as she claimed the unanimous decision win.

Fans who purchased the ONE 172 pay-per-view can watch the event's replays on demand at watch.onefc.com.

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Kana Morimoto says she's grateful for the fight she had with Phetjeeja at ONE 172

While she may have fallen short in her quest for ONE Championship gold, Kana Morimoto never forgot to express her gratitude towards the rightful queen of the atomweight kickboxing division.

In a previous Instagram post, Kana wrote she was grateful to have challenged Phetjeeja for the ONE atomweight kickboxing world title and thanked her fans who have supported her throughout her career.

"I want to say thank you to everyone around the world🙏🏽🌏 Thanks for all the messages. I am a fighter🥊 We rise again and again and become stronger. Thank you, queen🏆"