Teenage Muay Thai phenom Anna “Supergirl” Jaroonsak is diving headfirst into the sport of kickboxing.
On August 4 at ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian on Prime Video, she’ll look to establish herself as a viable World Title contender when she squares off with all-action Spanish star Cristina Morales.
That bout is set to air live in U.S. primetime from the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and it will be “Supergirl’s” second consecutive appearance in her new discipline.
After reeling off a pair of Muay Thai victories to begin her ONE tenure, the Thai sensation made her ONE kickboxing debut this past January at ONE Fight Night 6, stepping up on just 24 hours’ notice to face former ONE Atomweight Kickboxing and Muay Thai World Champion Stamp Fairtex.
“Supergirl” ultimately lost that contest by the narrowest of decisions, but she earned a US$50,000 bonus for her valiant effort – and realized for the first time that she truly belongs among the best strikers on the planet.
She explained the shift in mindset to onefc.com:
“After my first and the second fights, I still didn’t have confidence because it was such a huge stage, honestly, and I was not happy with my work then. But the most recent fight between Stamp and me, I grew more confident, even though I lost, because I got to fight with someone with that much more experience! And I did well in that fight, too. So, I’m much more confident.”
Not only did the 19-year-old prove she could hang with a decorated striker like Stamp, but she also discovered that her elite Muay Thai talent translates well to the bigger gloves and the fewer allowable strikes in kickboxing.
With that valuable experience under her belt, she knows what she needs to work on going forward:
“After fighting with Stamp, a former kickboxing champion, I gained more confidence, and I think I can do it too. If I keep practicing and change my Muay Thai style to kickboxing, there might be little things I need to figure out.
“I might unintentionally do elbow strikes or grab my opponent’s neck [in the clinch]. I’ll need to adjust that. Also, I’ll need to improve my speed in order to fight in kickboxing style.”
Those adjustments shouldn’t be hard to make for the prodigiously talented Jaroonsak Muaythai representative, who’s seemingly been on a path to greatness ever since she began training at the age of 3.
And after coming oh-so-close to defeating Stamp, she feels prepared to challenge the woman who dethroned the Fairtex megastar and currently owns the gold – reigning ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion Janet Todd.
“Supergirl” said:
“No doubt, winning the championship is the ultimate goal in kickboxing. Now that I’ve fought with Stamp, I think I’m ready to fight Janet.”
Supergirl Expects To Hold Kicking Advantage Over Morales
Before Anna “Supergirl” Jaroonsak can truly make her case to challenge Janet Todd for 26 pounds of kickboxing gold, she’ll have to get through accomplished Spanish standout Cristina Morales.
The reigning ISKA Atomweight K-1 World Champion is an experienced veteran of Europe’s elite kickboxing scene, but she’s in search of her first ONE Championship victory after losing her debut to legendary striker Anissa Meksen.
For her part, “Supergirl” is impressed by Morales’ overall game – particularly her ability to string various strikes together:
“From what I saw her fighting with Meksen, I see how great she is at combination strikes and how she strikes in upper and lower spots, as well as her kicks. Her combination punches are awesome, fast, and powerful.”
Still, “Supergirl” also noticed that her upcoming opponent attacks primarily with her hands, potentially creating an opportunity to unleash her own venomous arsenal of kicks.
The Bangkok native said:
“Her footwork looks like kickboxing style, and her style is so very boxing-style. So, I might focus more on leg and head kicking.”
Naturally, the young phenom hoping for a knockout on August 4 as she looks to climb toward kickboxing glory.
As for how that KO might come, “Supergirl” envisions a lower-body strike – perhaps one of her trademark knees:
“In this fight, I want to knock her out by kicking her head or kick-pushing her body, or finish it with my spear knee.”
