Stamp Opens Up About Recovery From Serious Knee Injury Ahead Of Comeback Fight At ONE 173

Former three-sport ONE World Champion Stamp Fairtex will make her highly anticipated return after more than two years when she faces Japanese striking icon Kana Morimoto in an atomweight kickboxing bout

at ONE 173 on 16 November inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena.

The 27-year-old Thai megastar sustained a serious knee injury during a training session that forced her to undergo surgery and endure a lengthy rehabilitation process. The road back has tested her physical and mental strength like never before.

The past two years transformed Stamp's entire lifestyle from that of an elite athlete to a patient focused solely on recovery. Her daily routine shifted from intense Muay Thai training sessions to grueling physical therapy, creating a mental challenge unlike anything she faced inside the ring.

"This is my comeback fight after more than two years. The past two years were difficult. It changed my routine from training Muay Thai every day to doing physical therapy every day. There was a time when I felt like I was pushing too hard," Stamp said.

"It turned out it wasn't the time yet, so I had to reset everything and go back to physical therapy from scratch. It was hard. Getting through each day felt like it required a lot of mental strength. "

The former ONE Atomweight Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and MMA World Champion now faces 33-year-old Japanese veteran Morimoto in her comeback bout. This represents Stamp's opportunity to prove she can return to elite-level competition after such a significant setback.

Despite people suggesting she should retire and claiming she has nothing left to prove, Stamp refused to give up on her comeback dreams. The Thai's perseverance through the darkest moments of her recovery now serves as inspiration for others facing seemingly impossible challenges.

"For those who look up to me as an idol, and are looking for something from Stamp, I would just advise: Don't give up, don't lose heart, and don't be discouraged," Stamp said.

"Look at me, I tore my knee, had surgery. Other people told me to retire, saying, 'Just quit, you don't need to prove anything anymore. ' I fell, struggled, almost lost my hope, but I was able to come back. You can do what you think is impossible. "