I want to do it again, says a battered and bruised Mia Kang after the swimsuit model wins her first muay thai fight

Hong Kong model-turned-muay thai fighter Mia Kang touched down in New York overnight but was still flying high after her professional debut – and knockout victory – at the weekend.

“The first thing I said was ‘I want to do it again’,” said Kang, speaking publically about the fight for the first time. “I’m not completely happy. I didn’t reach my full potential but no fighter does the first time.”

Kang was handed a technical knockout decision against Thai fighter Nong B on Sunday in a bout that was part of a Muay Thai Fight Club card on the island of Koh Samui.

“You know, coming into the ring I had a plan, but when the bell rang, it all went to s***,” said Kang. “She hit me with a big elbow at the end of the first round and that made me mad, basically. She was quicker but I was stronger and I knew I had to win by knockout. My team told me ‘heavy hands’ coming into the third, so that’s what I did. I hit her, hard. I was so pumped up at the end, as soon as they took my mouth guard out I said ‘rematch’ – but my team yelled ‘You’ve won!’”

The Sports Illustrated model captured global attention when she revealed in February that she planned to enter the ring and fight as a pro.

Muay Thai “turned my life around”, Kang said, after years of dealing with body issues and a lack of self-confidence.