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ONE women's atomweight kickboxing world champion Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom of Thailand picked up right where she left off after returning to Venum Training Camp in Pattaya.
‘The Queen’ has reunited with her old coach Mehdi Zatout ahead of her first Muay Thai bout in two years at ONE Fight Night 38 on Prime Video.
She’ll be taking on Poland’s Martyna Dominczak in a three-round atomweight Muay Thai action at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Dec. 5.
Phetjeeja had a fallout with Mehdi last year due to misunderstandings outside the ring. She briefly relocated to Sor Dechapan Gym, but it didn’t feel like home for her.
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The 23-year-old eventually had a chance to mend her relationship with her former coach at ONE 172 last March in Tokyo.
In her match against Kana Morimoto, Mehdi still coached her and gave her tips backstage.
After that emotional reunion, Phetjeeja recognized where she truly belonged and returned to the Pattaya-based camp.
Speaking to Nick Atkin of the Bangkok Post, ‘The Queen’ said it was the best decision she ever made:
“I just feel like it's the place where I can regroup and replan the whole thing because I was thinking, okay, I want to get the belt, and I have a certain goal that I feel like working with the Venum could be the best option. So I decided to go back and just work with the team and then work on everything — my body, my physical condition, and my plans — so everything is back on track.”
Watch the full interview:
Phetjeeja explains magnitude of her return to Muay Thai
For Phetjeeja, Muay Thai will always be her one true love.
'The Queen' has excelled in her transition to kickboxing but admits her heart still belongs to 'The Art of Eight Limbs'.
“This fight is extremely important because it’s my first Muay Thai fight in two years. Many fans are probably waiting to see my performance. I will try my best to defeat Martyna in the best possible form," she told Nick Atkin.
The women's atomweight clash at ONE Fight Night 38 airs live in U.S. primetime, exclusively on Prime Video for North American audiences.
