WBC and ISKA Muay Thai world champion and ONE Championship athlete Lara Fernandez is gearing up for her return at ONE Fight Night 12 on July 14. Bearer of one of the coolest and cutest fighter nicknames ever, 'Pizza Power' is looking to maintain the momentum she started when she beat Thailand's Dangkongfah Banchamek in Manila late last year.
This time, she will face another Thai prospect in Phetjeeja. Phetjeeja is a bronze medalist in the 2021 Southeast Asian Games for boxing and held world titles in WMC and WPMF. Lara Fernandez is ready to deal with her Thai opponent, however, as she is shredded and ripped inside the gym ahead of their clash.
'Pizza Power' posted one of her conditioning workouts on Instagram:
"⏳🔥 Finishing and profiling 👌🏽 I want to go back to @onechampionship 🔥#ONEFightNight12"
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Fernandez is definitely game and ready to face anybody. She proved her balls of steel when she made her promotional debut by challenging ONE women's atomweight kickboxing world champion Janet Todd for the interim ONE women's atomweight Muay Thai world title at ONE 159 last year.
Despite not winning that contest, the 27-year-old striker bounced back by narrowly beating Thailand's Dangkongfah Banchamek in a hotly contested bout. On Friday, Lara Fernandez will have a mountain in front of her as she faces the immensely experienced and grizzled Phetjee.
At just 21-years-old, Phetjeeja already has over 200 pro Muay Thai fights and a handful of pro boxing bouts. To the Thai stalwart, this massive advantage in experience will play a role in the upcoming Muay Thai battle with Lara Fernandez. She has back-to-back stoppage wins in the promotion and both are against non-Thai fighters.
Phetjeeja told ONE:
“I believe I have more fight experience than her. I have already fought over 200 fights,”
Amazon Prime Video subscribers in North America can catch all the action at ONE Fight Night 12 live and for free in U.S. primetime on July 14.