The illustrious career of Janet Todd came to an end at ONE Fight Night 20 this past weekend. The American striking veteran fell to a unanimous decision loss after an exciting five-round battle with “The Queen” Phetjeeja, who became the undisputed ONE atomweight kickboxing champion with the win.
Having the distinction of being Todd’s last opponent was something special for the Thai superstar, and she reflected on it significance following their main event title tilt.
“It’s such an honor to fight Janet Todd in her retirement fight. I’m very happy that I was part of her last fight so she can remember me, and I can remember her. It’s a historic moment for both of us,” Phetjeeja told ONE.
“The Queen” entered the tie as the interim ONE atomweight kickboxing champion, and there was undoubtedly a lot on her shoulders, given the caliber of opponent she was facing.
But, given her unbeaten promotional run, she was able to remind herself that she had what it takes to overcome Todd and claim the undisputed title.
“Of course, there was a lot of pressure for me because she [Janet Todd] was also the champion. I just kept telling myself not to think about the fight and not to stress out as much and to just go with the flow,” Phetjeeja said.
The 22-year-old kicked off her ONE Championship tenure in the Muay Thai realm last year and quickly reeIed off four wins.
She then moved over to kickboxing, where she bested striking legend Anissa Meksen to win the interim atomweight crown.
After defeating Todd to score back-to-back victories in kickboxing this past weekend, Phetjeeja was asked who was tougher inside the ring, and she couldn’t give a definitive answer.
“Both of them are very strong and were both challenging. I can’t compare both of them and decide which one was the most challenging, but I would think that they’re both challenging in different ways. I’m very happy to be able to get past both challenges,” she remarked.
With an unbeaten slate and ONE gold in her possession, the question of what’s next for the Team Mehdi Zatout star arose in her post-fight interview.
Phetjeeja made it clear that defending her new world title may not be on the top of her list. Instead, she wants to resume her hunt for the ONE atomweight Muay Thai title and is confident that a date with the sport’s queen, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues, is near.
“I think there’s a high chance of us facing each other soon – champion versus champion. I think it’s more likely that I’ll go for the Muay Thai belt,” she said.
For now, however, the future will have to wait, as Phetjeeja is happy to bask in the glory of her latest win for now.
But it isn’t just her performance she wants to revel in. ONE Fight Night 20 featured an all-women’s lineup to celebrate International Women’s Day, and the Thai star was delighted to showcase her skill at such a significant event.
“I’m happy about my victory, but, more importantly, I feel like it’s rare to see women showing others that we can choose any path and it’s important to show that we can choose any career that we love, and it doesn’t have to be anything traditional anymore. I loved seeing the confidence of the women coming out and being inspired by us,” Phetjeeja said.