The chronicles of 'Wondergirl': Nat Jaroonsak's journey to ONE Championship

Multi-time Muay Thai champion Nat Jaroonsak made her successful transition to mixed martial arts at ONE 157 on May 20, earning a first-round submission victory over opponent Zeba Bano.

Nat Jaroonsak, better known to the world as ‘Wondergirl’, made her mark in her fourth appearance with the promotion by successfully transitioning from a successful Muay Thai background to the world of MMA. At just 23 years old, Nat Jaroonsak appears to be destined for greatness, but before we look ahead to the future, let's take a look at the backstory of this phenomenal athlete.

Ever since she could walk, all Nat Jaroonsak thought about was being a professional fighter. Starting at an early age, ‘Wondergirl’ and her sister Ann ‘Supergirl’ Nat Jaroonsak began training with her father, Jaroon Chanthasri. Being a former Sor Varapin fighter himself, Chanthasri began training his daughters in a small area in front of their home in southern Bangkok. Over time, other kids in the area joined in and before long, a full gym complete with a ring was built.

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The birth of 'Wondergirl'

Jaroonsak was a quiet child growing up, uncharacteristically shy for someone who grew up with a successful Muay Thai competitor as a father. She was often teased for her unusual height and passion for Muay Thai, making school a challenge until she worked up the nerve to stand up for herself.

In 2008, as she began to seriously consider her career in combat sports, her father decided she needed a nickname that would be more marketable to an overseas crowd compared to the more traditional Thai names. That same year, a South Korean K-Pop group by the name ‘Wonder Girls’ released a single titled, ‘Nobody’. The song became an instant hit in Thailand and the tune was inescapable.

While speaking to ONE Championship, Jaroonsak said:

“He heard his students sing this song every day. He had an earworm and played it on YouTube at home and gradually liked it. So, my dad came up with ‘Wondergirl', so that when I eventually fight abroad, it would be easier to recognize than a Thai name.”

Thus, ‘Wondergirl’ was born, though much to the chagrin of Nat Jaroonsak, who was not fond of the song or the band itself. Despite the objection, the name stayed and it wasn’t long before her father’s choice proved to be the right one. The new moniker stood out amongst the more traditional names for female athletes.

Matching the marketability with her immense talent, 'Wondergirl' began main eventing shows on her way to becoming a two-time Muay Thai champion of the Professional Boxing Association of Thailand. It wasn’t long before ‘Wondergirl’ was attracting attention from other organizations, including the Fairtex Training Center, home of 2021 ONE women’s atomweight world grand prix champion Stamp Fairtex.

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Jaroonsak joins Fairtex, adopts the name 'Wondergirl Fairtex', and signs with ONE Championship

Nat Jaroonsak transitioned from her family gym to the Fairtex Training Center. With Thai fighters typically adopting their gym name as a surname, Jaroonsak became known as ‘Wondergirl Fairtex’ during her time with the gym.

Further honing her skills with a new gym, ‘Wondergirl’ was set to make her ONE Championship debut in August 2020. In her first promotional appearance, ‘Wondergirl’ put on a show, needing only 81 seconds to defeat opponent Brooke Harrell via knockout. A week later, she stepped into the ONE cage again, this time against KC Carlos. ‘Wondergirl’ was once again victorious, earning the stoppage 1:06 into the second round.

After back-to-back wins in her first two appearances, ‘Wondergirl’ was riding high. Having accomplished so much in the Muay Thai world already, Jaroonsak was itching to enter the world of mixed martial arts.

Speaking with SCMP MMA, ‘Wondergirl’ stated that her goal in moving to Fairtex was to train for an eventual debut in MMA.

“The reason I came here to Fairtex in the first place is because of MMA. Actually, I want to fight MMA. But I got the opportunity to fight Muay Thai in ONE first so I took it. That’s what our boss wants me to do in ONE, they want me to be like Stamp – get the Muay Thai belt and then focus on MMA, or just give me a chance to fight for the title. I just want to prove myself. I want to be the best in this sport, this martial art of Muay Thai, and then I’ll go to MMA like Stamp.”

Six months removed from her second win with the promotion, Jaroonsak stepped into the cage once again, this time against Jackie Buntan, who was making her promotional debut.

In the first round, Buntan dropped the Thai prodigy with a massive left hook. While ‘Wondergirl’ answered the referee’s count, she clearly looked out of sorts for the remainder of the fight, going on to lose via unanimous decision. ‘Wondergirl’ later confirmed that she suffered two facial fractures in the defeat.

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Nat Jaroonsak returns home after an acrimonious split with Fairtex and makes her MMA debut

Just a few months removed from the defeat, ‘Wondergirl’ confirmed that she was leaving Fairtex and returning to her family’s gym. While Jaroonsak didn’t provide specifics on the split, she indicated on Instagram that the divorce was acrimonious.

“If you’re not happy and losing your positive energy, that place might not [be] your place. You have only one life to live, never waste your life time with the wrong people/place that keep killing your positive energy.”

Determined not to give up on her dream of fighting in MMA, Nat Jaroonsak continued to train at her new home until the day came when ONE Championship offered her a contract to compete in mixed martial arts.

While speaking to Black Belt Magazine, 'Wondergirl' said:

“I’ve been waiting for this for years. Finally, my dream’s coming true. I thought I was going to start MMA with a small promotion first, but then I got the chance to fight in ONE. This is amazing. I’ll take it”

Nat Jaroonsak did not disappoint in her MMA debut. Stepping into the cage as a mixed martial artist for the first time against undefeated prospect Zeba Bano, ‘Wondergirl’ only needed 82 seconds to lock in a slick armbar submission. Not only did Nat Jaroonsak make it to her MMA debut, but she looked absolutely dominant in her performance.

Showing that she can get it done both on the feet and on the mat, ‘Wondergirl’ could have a very bright future in the world of mixed martial arts. At just 23 years old, the sky is the limit for the Thai prodigy-turned-budding MMA superstar.