Special rules as Nat meets tough Xiong
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Special rules as Nat meets tough Xiong

ONE Fight Night 14's special rules bout explained

Thai fighter Nat Jaroonsak.
Thai fighter Nat Jaroonsak.

An innovative special rules bout is set to light up the Singapore Indoor Stadium today.

ONE women's strawweight MMA world champion Xiong Jing Nan will battle with Thailand's multi-discipline star Nat "Wondergirl" Jaroonsak in a strawweight spectacle before three world title bouts go down at ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp v Ham.

What are the rules?

Xiong v Jaroonsak will be contested over three, three-minute rounds.

The pair will wear four-ounce MMA gloves and only punching techniques with closed fists are allowed.

Unlike a traditional boxing bout, contestants may hold their opponent's head and throw strikes as long as it is landed with the padded section of the glove.

Kicks, knees, and elbows are prohibited.

If the fight goes the distance, three circle-side judges will score the bout based on the 10-point must system under which the winner of each round is awarded 10 points.

Who are the fighters?

Xiong has reigned over the women's strawweight MMA division since 2018.

"The Panda" is undefeated at strawweight, with the only blemish on her 10-fight ONE record being a loss to Angela Lee at atomweight back in 2019.

The 35-year-old has represented China in boxing and will be looking for the fifth knockout of her career on the global stage.

Nat began her ONE tenure with two crushing knockouts under Muay Thai rules back in 2020 but has been kicking off her MMA career in recent bouts.

Despite being just 24 years old, "Wondergirl" is a veteran of 54 Muay Thai fights and is a two-time Thailand champion in the sport.

The Thai star is no stranger to striking in four-ounce gloves and even competed in western boxing.

This is the first bout of its kind to take place, so pundits can't predict exactly how it will play out.

But, when two dangerous and highly credentialled strikers lock horns in the circle today, there is likely to be fireworks.

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