ONE Championship: Hong Kong’s Yu to make Amazon Prime debut in Fernandez fight, Todd title defence to headline event
- Yu Yau-pui and Lara Fernandez to clash at ONE Fight Night 20 in Bangkok on March 9
- Janet Todd will take on Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom in kickboxing unification fight
Hong Kong’s Yu Yau-pui has been handed the opportunity to burst into the prime-time spotlight at ONE Fight Night 20 next month.
The 30-year-old will take on Spain’s Lara Fernandez in an atomweight Muay Thai bout as part of an event broadcast on Amazon’s Prime Video service in North America.
Yu had a banner year in 2023, going unbeaten in five fights in ONE Championship’s Friday night events in Bangkok, performances that earned her the opportunity to compete on one of the prime time cards.
Next month’s show takes place in the morning of March 9 in Bangkok, so it can hit the lucrative Friday night market in North America. Yu is likely to go into the fight as favourite, against an opponent with just one win in her previous four appearances.
Two atomweight kickboxing champions will go head to head in the main event, with. Janet Todd taking on Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom in a unification bout.
The regular champion, Todd has held the title since 2020, but an interim belt was established last year, and Phetjeeja won it by beating Anissa Meksen at ONE Friday Fights 46.
Phetjeeja had an incredible 2023, winning five times, and Meksen was the only opponent the Thai fighter failed to finish during this impressive run.
In contrast, Todd fought just once, losing her atomweight Muay Thai title by decision to Allycia Rodrigues in another unification bout.
That was the American’s first loss since 2019 and ended a run of seven straight wins.
The atomweight Muay Thai title will also be up for grabs in the co-main event at Lumpinee Stadium, with Rodrigues defending her crown against Cristina Morales in what is set to be an all-female fight card on International Women’s Day in the US.
After losing a strawweight Muay Thai title fight to Sweden’s Smilla Sundel at ONE Fight Night 14, Rodrigues will return to her natural weight for the Morales clash.
The Spaniard earned her atomweight title shot by stopping Anna ‘Supergirl’ Jaroonsak at ONE Fight Night 16 last year.
ONE Fight Night 20 (Muay Thai unless stated): Janet Todd (c) v Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom (kickboxing – for unified atomweight title); Allycia Rodrigues (c) v Cristina Morales (atomweight title); Yu Yau-pui v Lara Fernandez (atomweight).
