"Training very hard to be at my best" - Phetjeeja says ring rust won't be a factor in world title war vs. Kana at ONE 172

Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom may have been out of action for an extended time, but the Thai striker doesn't think it'll entirely affect her performance at ONE 172.

The Team Mehdi Zatout star squares off against Japan kickboxing veteran Kana Morimoto inside the Saitama Super Arena on Sunday, March 23.

Her ONE atomweight kickboxing world title will be on the line inside the legendary venue, and with no plans to give it up yet, Phetjeeja has put herself through the wringer to ensure she extends her reign:

"I stopped fighting for a long time. This March will be a year, which may have affected my fighting style a bit. It makes my weapons slower. However, I am training very hard to be at my best," she told ONE Championship in an exclusive interview.

The Thai striking specialist carries a perfect 6-0 promotional slate heading into her upcoming five-round tilt.

She immediately announced herself as a major threat in the talent-jammed division with four successive highlight-reel finishes against Fani Peloumpi, Ines Pilutti, Lara Fernandez, and Celest Hansen, on her way to a six-figure contract to join the main roster.

Never one to rest on her laurels, the Thai striking specialist claimed victories over Anissa Meksen and Janet Todd in back-to-back world title matchups over the past 24 months.

Can she make it three in a row at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang in Saitama, Japan, or will Kana pull off one of the biggest upsets of the night?

Find out by catching the entire card, which will be available live via pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.

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Phetjeeja says knocking out Kana at ONE 172 "won't be that easy"

While she's spared no effort to make sure she's at 100 percent on fight night, Phetjeeja believes it'll be quite an ask to finish Kana inside the distance.

During a ONE 172 open workout session in Thailand, she shared:

"I think this fight will be exciting. But I am not aiming for the knockout. It depends on what will happen in the ring because we are both boxers. And it [knocking Kana out] won't be that easy."