“Wrap that belt around my waist” - Kana motivated to dethrone Phetjeeja in front of her hometown fans at ONE 172

We are counting down the days to ONE 172: Takery vs Rodtang, and with it, counting down the days until two Queens clash. 'Krusher Queen' Kana Morimoto is getting fired up to make history in her home territory in her upcoming match with 'The Queen' Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom.

When she steps into the Circle at the iconic Saitama Super Arena on March 23, Kana is not just looking to put on a show. The 32-year-old Japanese standout will be challenging the reigning ONE atomweight kickboxing world champion for a taste of her 26 pounds of gold.

And with the belt right in front of her, she's just getting more and more excited.

She told ONE Championship:

"Seeing that massive ONE Championship belt up close, I definitely wanted to wrap that belt around my waist. That makes me even more determined to win it."

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Kana Morimoto elated to get her first win in ONE Championship after masterful showing vs Moa Carlsson

After a dominant win against Swedish standout Moa Carlsson, Kana Morimoto's confidence is sky-high. That night, she set the tone for what's to come in her upcoming ONE 172 appearance.

"First, I'd like to thank everyone here," she said in her post-fight speech. "The second thing, this is my first victory in ONE Championship. I'd have loved to KO my opponent, but even though I didn't get the KO [winning] this fight, it's because of all my trainers and everyone that have been supporting me."

Kana Morimoto vs Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom is one of five title fights that feature on the stacked ONE 172 fight card. ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang takes place March 23 in the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

Tickets are available here. Fans in Canada and North America can catch the action via PPV on watch.onefc.com.