Stamp Fairtex could only watch as others got to compete in 2024. A torn meniscus sidelined ONE Championship’s atomweight queen for the entire year, but she has still used the time to improve while away from the ring.
“This year, I spent a lot of time with myself and learned new things. It was a bad year, but not too bad because there were new things and new people to learn from. I could say it was a year of learning,” Stamp told ONE.
After the title win in 2023, Stamp was hoping for even more history in 2024. She planned to defend her title against Denice Zamboanga and challenge Xiong Jing Nan for the strawweight crown.
Stamp wants to leave an unmatched legacy in martial arts and plans to continue chasing those dreams when she finally returns.
“I am very disappointed to have missed both opportunities. No one wants something like this to happen because I want everyone to remember who Stamp is and why I’m so hungry for a championship,” the atomweight star stated.
As the new year is about to come over the horizon, Stamp feels she is close to ramping up her training even more.
The 27-year-old is not rushing back to competition and is taking her time to make sure she returns in top form.
“Now, I can take small steps and start jogging. I had surgery on May 20, and it’s been almost seven months since then. I think by Jan. 2025, I will be able to run short distances and start practicing kicks again,” the three-sport champion detailed.
Stamp wants to put her title on the line, which will come later in a unification bout against the winner of Zamboanga vs. Alyona Rassohyna at ONE Fight Night 27 on Friday, Jan. 10. However, she hopes to get her feet wet before the unification by competing in kickboxing first.
“Right now, I want to get back into fighting. I want to step back into the ring, focus on training, and continue my recovery. I want to have a kickboxing fight before defending my belt, and I want to successfully defend my belt. I want to show everyone that Stamp is back,” Stamp said.
On the road to recovery, Stamp is eyeing her return for the first half of the year.
Once she steps back onto the global stage, she hopes to make up for lost time with an active schedule.
“I expect to compete in May or June. By then, everything should be in place. It may be a bit delayed, but coming back at 100 percent will definitely make my performance much better than competing while still in pain. I want to fight every three months,” Stamp stated.
“I’m interested in all the rule sets right now. I feel very eager to be back in the ring and I am excited about the challenge of returning to the sports where I was once a champion.”