Kana turning her nerves into fuel to claim ONE gold from Phetjeeja at ONE 172: “I will do my best in the fight”

Former four-time K-1 champion Kana Morimoto is mere hours away from the biggest fight of her career.

On Sunday, March 23, Kana will step back onto martial arts' biggest global stage for a clash with reigning and defending ONE atomweight kickboxing world champion, Phetjeeja.

It's just one of five epic ONE world title tilts scheduled to go down at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, emanating live from the legendary Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

Speaking with ONE Championship, Kana admitted that she's feeling some nerves ahead of fight night, but remains confident that the nervousness will serve her well inside the Circle.

"As the challenger this time, I am just going to give it my all against a strong champion," she said. "I am nervous, but I don't feel pressured. It’s helping. I take this as just another fight and I will do my best in the fight."

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Kana can't wait to fight inside Saitama Super Arena once again

Aside from competing for her first ONE world title, Kana will be going toe-to-toe with Phetjeeja inside one of the most iconic combat sports venues in the world—Saitama Super Arena.

Having already had the opportunity to fight there twice before under the K-1 banner, Kana believes there is nothing like fighting inside such a historical site.

"I've fought twice before at Saitama Super Arena, and it's such a huge venue with a massive crowd," Kana said. "The atmosphere is completely different, and I want to enjoy everything about it."

Will we see Kana capture her first 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold in The Land of the Rising Sun this Sunday, or will Phetjeeja keep her 'O' inside the Circle intact?

ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang will emanate from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Sunday, March 23. Head over to watch.onefc.com to learn more about how you can watch the event live.