Jackie Chan fan Yu Yau-pui ready to test herself on biggest stage, as ONE Championship opportunity beckons
- Hongkonger will take on Lara Fernandez at ONE Fight Night 20 this Saturday
- Yu says she did not start out aiming to have a career in Muay Thai, but enjoyed the punching and kicking
Yu Yau-pui competes at ONE Fight Night 20 this weekend, a big step up for the 31-year-old from Hong Kong, who previously competed in the smaller Friday events.
Saturday morning’s card will attract a much bigger global audience and Yu said she was happy to have finally secured her opportunity on the big stage, where she vowed to do “whatever I can to win”.
But a career as a fighter was the last thing on Yu’s mind when she first started studying martial arts, and the Hongkonger was more concerned with staying in shape.
“I just tried to keep fit, that was my first purpose to go to the gym and get some exercise but I did not know I would be a Muay Thai fighter,” she said.
As a result her heroes were not professional fighters but people who simulated the art on the big screen. For Yu, there was no bigger hero than fellow Hong Kong native Jackie Chan.
“Bruce Lee is [more] historical and I heard about him, but Jackie Chan, I watched his movies since I was a kid,” Yu said.
Even so, she initially fell into the sport by accident. Having impressed her trainers, she was offered the opportunity to take part in a sparring session and has never looked back.
“My coach asked me if I would like to do some sparring with other classmates so I said, ‘OK, let’s give it a try’, and I loved the punching and kicking,” Yu said. “It really made me happy.”
Having already excelled at punching and kicking a bag, she discovered that landing strikes against an actual opponent was a lot of fun.
Her early sparring partners might not have been seasoned professionals, but the same cannot be said for Lara Fernandez who she faces on Saturday.
The Spaniard has won several fights, both as a professional and an amateur, and Yu has devised a specific game plan for an opponents she has a lot of respect for.
“I think she is a very well rounded fighter, and she moves a lot with her kicks, has a very good distance,” Yu said. “I [need to] use my weapons to shorten the distance and keep pressure on her.”
Last year, Yu was unbeaten in five fights at Lumpinee Stadium, and said the venue “feels like home”.
