Surging Junior Fairtex is eyeing a potentially “life changing” victory at ONE Friday Fights 85, when she will look to earn a US$100,000 ONE Championship contract.
The 19-year-old is riding a five-fight win streak at ONE Lumpinee, but faces a tough test against debutant Florencia Greco on Friday night.
A sixth straight win in their atomweight Muay Thai bout at Lumpinee Stadium could see her get called up to the Asia-based martial arts promotion’s main roster, however.
“If I win this fight I might be close to the contract. I’m not sure if I will get it or not,” the Thai prospect told the Bangkok Post. “But I think I’m very close. If I win this week and I got the contract and bonus my life would change so much. “With the money, one part I will give to my mother for her plant business. The second part I would keep to pay for my college.”
Junior knows she has a tough fight on her hands against her Argentinian opponent, however, and has prepared accordingly in Pattaya. “I trained hard,” Junior added. “Every day I kicked pads for 10 rounds in the morning and 10 rounds in the evening.
“I clinched 20 minutes every day. I went running in the morning. I trained with [Fairtex teammates] Celeste Hansen and Shir Cohen a lot.”
Greco recently fought ONE Championship-bound Myanmar superstar Vero Nika under the Thai Fight promotional banner in August, in a unanimous decision loss that still left Junior impressed. “I hope this fight is very fun and very good,” she said. “I think this fight is an amazing fight for both of us.
“I saw that she fought with Vero before. But it was a great fight. I think she has a good punch. She has an advantage because she is taller than me. But I think I can win.”