Six years ago, newly crowned ONE women's atomweight MMA world champion Stamp Fairtex embarked on a quest to conquer ONE Championship.
After simultaneously holding the Muay Thai and kickboxing straps in the atomweight division, Stamp finally grabbed the one accolade that had alluded her against Ham Seo Hee this past Saturday, September 30, at ONE Fight Night 14.
The fearsome female stars battled hard across three rounds in the evening's main event until Stamp managed to use Ham's momentum against her to sneak in a brutal body shot and score the TKO win to reap the rewards of her years of hard work.
Poetically, it was a similar sequence to one that nearly won the Thai megastar the atomweight crown when she challenged longtime queen Angela Lee at ONE X in March 2022.
The Fairtex Training Centre standout missed out that night, succumbing to a second-round submission. This time around, however, the 25-year-old was calm and collected in the title-clinching moments.
Lessons had been learned, and it made the difference when getting over the line.
Emotion poured from Stamp when her dream was realized. From striking seniority to three-sport world champion, the final mountain was summited.
Reflecting on the career-defining moment, Stamp said: "I feel very proud and happy that I've won my third title.
"I think I'm the only woman and the first person that has ever achieved this."
It had been an emotional fight week for the Pattaya, Thailand native. Stamp and Ham were ready to battle for the interim atomweight MMA crown, as Lee had not yet announced if she would be returning to competition following the tragic loss of her younger sister, Victoria.
But with "Unstoppable" breaking the news of her retirement during the ONE Fight Night 14 broadcast, it became clear that the pair would be competing for the undisputed World Title.
After Stamp managed to topple Ham, the Thai megastar was handed the gold by Lee in a significant moment of torch passing.
As she readies herself for life at the top of the women's MMA division, the new queen is open to facing all comers in order to live up to her predecessor's legendary name.
"I was very overwhelmed, because Angela herself passed on her belt to me," Stamp said.
"I remember when I fought her, she told me that I would be the next champion, and I feel very honored about that.
"I would love to fight with anyone. Anyone that's ready. I don’t really mind."
