“I Envision Myself With the Belt” – Janet Todd Feels She’s Destined for Gold at ONE 159

Published 07/15/2022, 4:10 AM EDT

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ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion Janet “JT” Todd is ready to pair her gold with another World Title come ONE 159: De Ridder vs. Bigdash on July 22.

That evening, the American striking specialist squares off against Lara Fernandez in the co-main event of the stacked bill, and she sees herself leaving the Circle with her seventh straight win and the ONE Interim Atomweight Muay Thai World Title.

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“I envision myself with the belt at the end of the fight,” the 36-year-old said.

“You know, that’s always the mentality that I go in with every fight. I envision, like, at the end of the fight, my hands being raised and feeling that heavy belt strapped over my shoulder.”

A triumph over the Spanish debutant inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium next Friday will see her join an elite list of fighters who have simultaneously held two World Titles on the global stage.

“I Will Break His Face” – Bigdash Fired Up to Dethrone De Ridder and Reclaim Middleweight Crown

Given the prize, the stakes are certainly high. And though she seems confident to capture the atomweight Muay Thai crown, the Californian resident knows it will come with tough resistance from Fernandez.

After all, the latter is a WBC Muay Thai World Champion and a two-time ISKA Kickboxing World Champion. So, Todd knows she cannot underestimate what her foe brings to the Circle.

“[Fernandez is] a good technical fighter. She’s fought some top-level competition. She’s, you know, currently a WBC titleholder. And I think the advantage is she has some really good kicks during her exchanges with people. She’s a good forward pressure type of fighter,” she offered.

Despite praising her 26-year-old opponent, Todd knows she has enough within her arsenal to take her closer to her ultimate ambition.

Janet Todd is carrying some serious momentum to ONE 159

The Boxing Works representative is enjoying a six-match winning streak that includes a perfectly timed liver kick against Anne Line Hogstad and a devastating head kick that instantly floored Ekaterina Vandaryeva.

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In each of her wins, Todd has used her movement to set up some of her fanciest highlight-reel finishes on her resume, and she thinks that tool will play an important role at ONE 159.

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“I think the strength that I have is my movement. To be able to get the angles that I want for my shots, and also the use of my combinations to create openings,” she said.

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3 Fighters to Watch at ONE 159: De Ridder vs. Bigdash

“It might not be open right at that moment, but then it can lend itself to creating other openings during the fight. So I think I can use those types of advantages in the fight.”

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Written by:

Deepak Kumar

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Deepak Kumar is a UFC author at EssentiallySports. His love for MMA comes from the chaos and violence the fight game brings to the table. A BJJ aspirant, Deepak began following the sport as a casual fan when Ronda Rousey was finishing her opponents in seconds.
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