Is ONE Championship home to the best female strikers in the world?

When ONE Championship expanded its roster to include an all-striking division in 2018, the world’s best strikers were on alert.

For female strikers around the world, in particular, the introduction of ONE Super Series was a game-changer.

Many promotions have tried to provide female kickboxing and Muay Thai combatants the perfect platform where their voices could be heard and a stage where their matches could reach a global audience. However, no one could provide these strikers with the two mentioned above until ONE entered the equation.

In a little over three years, ONE Super Series has ticked all the boxes for female strikers. The world’s largest martial arts organization now boasts a plethora of top female strikers. Arguably, they're the greatest on the globe.

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Meet the world champions

There are two world champions in the strikers' female division: ONE atomweight Muay Thai world champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues and atomweight kickboxing world champion Janet Todd.

Todd, an IFMA Pan-American Muay Thai champion, boasts a 38-11 record. The 36-year-old American has built a reputation as one of the most intelligent competitors in the world of striking today. She's often able to play at her opponent’s pace while working behind her solid boxing foundation to set herself up for high kicks.

The American utilized all of the tools mentioned above to power her toward her first and only world title against Stamp Fairtex in February 2020. Todd has not defended her gold since, but the striker has made the switch back to her preferred striking art, Muay Thai, with two back-to-back wins against Alma Juniku and Anne Line Hogstad.

Those performances saw her scoop up the 2021 Female ONE Super Series Striker of the Year award.

Like Todd, Rodrigues too picked up her ONE gold courtesy of a dominant win over Thai striker Stamp at ONE: A New Breed in August 2020. The win also earned her the promotion’s 2020 breakthrough Fighter of the Year award.

The young star replied to everything the world champion had in store for her. However, her powerful body kicks and heavy fists were eventually too much for Stamp. The win bolstered her record to 31-5.

Rodrigues did not compete in 2021 as she took time off from her career to give birth to a baby boy last September. The 23-year-old Brazilian striker should compete again this year and since Todd has earned two consecutive wins in Muay Thai, a clash between the two seems unavoidable.

However, there is an abundance of fighters who have been waiting for their time to shine and it truly is up to the ONE matchmakers to seal the right deal.

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The favorites

There are plenty of world-class strikers lining up to get a shot at both golden straps. However, one clear contender who stands out among the rest is French kickboxing star Anissa Meksen.

The Nancy resident is widely regarded as the No.1 pound-for-pound female fighter in the world. The French striker reminded everyone of her unique skills and abilities when she dominated Cristina Morales in her promotional debut.

The 33-year-old did not put a foot wrong in the match. She instantly found her range and connected with power and volume before flooring her Spanish foe in the second stanza.

It probably was not Morales’ night. On any other day, she is a dangerous striker to mingle with. The 28-year-old still has the championship in mind as she looks to complete her haul of world titles, which includes the ISKA K1 and Enfusion world titles.

Meksen’s victory upped her tally of career wins to 101, which includes other big names like Swedish Muay Thai world champion Sofia Olofsson and Glory Super bantamweight champion Tiffany Van Soest.

Despite being knocked out by Todd in her most recent outing, Anne Line Hogstad is still one of the most prominent strikers in the world. After all, she is a multi-time Muay Thai world champion. She will be keen to kick off the year with another win, which should bring her closer towards world title glory.

Meanwhile, Ekaterina Vanderyeva’s name is often brought up when there are world title talks. The Belarusian striking dynamo has been honing her craft since she was a kid. The 30-year-old is a former WKN champion with 58 wins on her resume. The most notable of them all was her victory over UFC star Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

She arrived at the organization intending to pick up a world title. Instead, she has succumbed to two defeats in the promotion so far. This shows how competitive life could become at a promotion stacked with a long list of talents.

Vanderyeva goes to war against Supergirl next at ONE: Heavy Hitters on January 14. Supergirl is another athlete who should be in the waiting room for a world title shot in the future.

WBC and IPCC Muay Thai world champion Alma Juniku is another star who could go on to challenge for the world title over the next 12 months. American Jackie Buntan and KO specialist striker Wondergirl complete the hotlist.

There is plenty at stake for each athlete on this list and with several other stars all vying for the same prize, expect them to put in a career-defining performance when they present their skills to the global audience in their next fights.

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The rest of the stars in ONE

If Stamp Fairtex ever decides to pursue her dream of lifting the atomweight and kickboxing world titles against top names in the industry, now would be the perfect time.

The ONE women’s atomweight world Grand Prix champion remains a star in the striking arts and could engage in a thrilling battle against anyone willing to face off against her. Stamp is set to take on Angela Lee for the atomweight MMA world title in 2022.

Apart from the usual suspects, more champions are keen to add to their haul of titles. One such contender is Slovakia’s Viktoria Lipianska. The lifelong athlete has competed against stars of the sport like Amanda Juniku and Patricia Axling en route to an EMF European championship and a WMF pro-am world title.

Then there is WBC England Muay Thai champion Amber Kitchen. The youngster is ready for more fights on the global stage as she looks to emulate the success of her mother Julie, who is a Muay Thai world champion known as ‘The Queen of Muay Thai’.

2022 is looking to be a busy year for ONE Championship. If more cards could accommodate kickboxing and Muay Thai fights featuring these top strikers in the industry, it will be a perfect chance for ONE to show the world that they are truly home to the best strikers in the world.