Jihin Radzuan in no rush to rematch foe-turned-friend Stamp: “It's a fight, it's our work”

Fifth-ranked ONE atomweight MMA contender Jihin Radzuan’s world championship aspirations still burn as bright as day.

Then again, her relationship with the division’s new ruler Stamp Fairtex does complicate things a little bit.

It wasn’t that long ago when ‘Shadow Cat’ traded fists with the Thai megastar at ONE on Prime Video 2 last year.

The Malaysian fought valiantly and had her moments in the three-round affair, but Stamp ultimately went home with a well-deserved unanimous decision victory.

Following the setback, Radzuan accepted her shortcomings and humbly sought Stamp’s aid to become a better martial artist.

The former adversaries quickly developed a strong bond, as Radzuan became a staple at the Fairtex Training Center, which Stamp calls home.

Jihin Radzuan’s hard work in Pattaya, Thailand evidently showed in her return fight against Jenelyn Olsim at ONE Friday Fights 35 last month.

The 25-year-old displayed a new and improved striking arsenal, as she tagged the Filipina on the feet over and over again.

Radzuan finished the job in the final round, submitting Olsim with a suffocating triangle choke/armbar combo.

Now back in the win column, Radzuan addressed the elephant in the room about a possible rematch with her former foe-turned-friend Stamp.

She told Tom Taylor of the South China Morning Post in a recent interview:

“Everyone in the atomweight division, the goal is to be the world champion. When you get into the ring or into the cage, it's a fight, it's our work. But of course, I'm not saying ‘Oh right now, I want to challenge Stamp.”

By the looks of it, Jihin Radzuan is in no rush to run it back with Stamp. For now, she’ll gladly take on other contenders in the top 5 and climb her way atop the rankings.

Watch Jihin Radzuan’s full interview with SCMP MMA below: