M
uay Thai sensation Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak made her long-awaited mixed martial arts (MMA) debut at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium last Friday – and the result was better than anyone could have expected.
The Bangkok native faced India’s Zeba Bano in a strawweight MMA showdown on the event’s lead card, and she only needed 90 seconds to secure victory over the previously undefeated fighter.
Many critics questioned Jaroonsak’s skills on the ground, but the 23-year-old silenced all doubters when she cinched in an armbar that forced her opponent to tap out. Now, fans are wondering who could be next for the burgeoning Thai star.
“Wondergirl” has made it clear that she wants to commit herself to her new journey in the all-encompassing sport, and she’s willing to take on anyone in order to gain some traction in her competitive weight class.
“I want to focus more on MMA. The MMA strawweight division, I am coming for you guys,” she said.
Jaroonsak’s emphatic performance opens up a variety of intriguing opponents who could test the Marrock Force representative.
One such athlete could be Tiffany Teo, a former two-time ONE women’s strawweight world title challenger. The Singaporean holds a 10-2 career record, owns a 70 percent finishing rate and even pushed reigning divisional queen Xiong Jing Nan to the limit in their world title tussle back in October 2020.
Read also: ONE 157: Siregar victorious as Petchmorakot, Lasiri leave as world champions
There’s also Dayane Cardoso, who defeated recent ONE world title challenger Ayaka Miura via second-round TKO in her debut in April. The Brazilian, who finds herself on a six-fight winning streak, could be next in line for a crack at Xiong Jing Nan’s belt, so “Wondergirl” could benefit by stopping the Brazilian’s hype train.
Whatever is next, Jaroonsak is determined to move steadily through the division. She isn’t looking to get to the top of the mountain just yet and plans to model her MMA career off another superstar who made the switch from Muay Thai and kickboxing.
“I want to go slow but strong, just like Stamp [Fairtex]. She didn't face the top fighter in her very first fight in MMA. I'm not rushing. I just turned 23 and still have a lot of time to work on and improve my skills,” she said.
“But if ONE wants to give me a strong opponent, then that's fine. I respect ONE's opinions and matchmaking. I'll fight anyone they want to give me.”
Watch ONE 158 on June 3 in ONE Super App and subscribe to ONE Championship on YouTube!
This article was published in collaboration with ONE Championship.
