“It feels very good to have a person inspire me" - Ekaterina Vandaryeva draws strength from son ahead of ONE Championship: Heavy Hitters

Mixing motherhood with a full-time job is an extremely daunting task for many women. ONE Championship's Ekaterina Vandaryeva certainly knows a thing or two about that grueling grind.

That's why the 30-year-old Belarusian, a full-time mother and kickboxer, is relishing the inspiration her 4-year-old son brings ahead of ONE Championship's year-opening event on January 14, ONE: Heavy Hitters:

“It feels very good to have a person inspire me,” she said in an interview with the promotion. “My boy is my complete copy. I always say I produced somebody whom I would like to be myself.”

Vandaryeva, who stayed away from the fight scene from 2016 to 2019 to take care of her son, is now scheduled for a ONE Championship: Super Series bout against 18-year-old Supergirl Jaroonsak Muaythai.

While there was a time when a return to the ring was far from her mind, 'Barbie' is now fully committed to her craft, all thanks to her baby boy Timurchik:

"After my child was born, it was a huge relief instantly. Living became so much easier. I felt a desire to live and achieve something for somebody.”

Vandaryeva understandably prioritized motherhood during her absence from the ring. Now, she can put it aside for short spurts of time as her little Timurchik slowly learns on his own:

“A child is a great responsibility, especially without a grandmother to help and so on. But now, he is already 4. He is so self-dependent, goes to kindergarten, understands and supports me. He supports me in a way nobody else can. I work, train, care for my child and home. But at the same time, I like it a lot, especially because everything goes very smoothly in the end.”

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Ekaterina Vandaryeva continues search for ONE Championship breakthrough win

As laudable as Vandaryeva is for her balancing act in and out of the ring, she still needs to shake off her losing skid since returning in 2019 under the ONE Championship umbrella. Vandaryeva got knocked out by Janet Todd in October 2019 before Jackie Buntan prevailed over her nearly two years later in April 2021 via majority decision.

Standing in Vandaryeva's way this time is the sensational Thai upstart Supergirl who is looking to start a winning streak in ONE Championship this January 14.