Algerian-French kickboxing icon Anissa Meksen suffered a decision defeat at ONE Friday Fights 46 against undefeated Thai star Phetjeeja.
The seven-time world champion in Muay Thai and Kickboxing struggled to establish her rhythm over five rounds of fighting, finding herself on the backfoot frequently in the ONE Interim Atomweight Kickboxing World Championship contest inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Dressed in black and gold, Meksen landed an uppercut and a left punch early on while her Thai counterpart connected with several strong right hands as the first round came to a close.
In the second frame, Meksen charged forward, upping her striking’s pace and volume, but Phetjeeja countered with a clean right. The two fighters traded body shots in the center of the work. The 21-year-old Thai edged the veteran, using her footwork to avoid her leg kicks and countering with kicks of her own before striking a clean right hand that wobbled Meksen.
Phetjeeja moved forward at the start of the third round, but Meksen put her push kicks into good use to avoid her opponent’s dangerous strikes. Midway through the round, the two traded punches with Meksen avoiding Phetjeeta’s attacks, circling the Thai counterpart with quick movements.
With momentum on her side, Phetjeeja continued her drive forward in the fourth round. The Thai seemed to get the better of the Algerian kickboxing icon in direct exchanges. In the fifth and final round, the two traded strikes but neither fighter found the opening needed to finish the other.
With this win, Phetjeeja is crowned ONE Interim Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion, raising her extraordinary overall professional record to 207-6. The surging Thai star kept her clean slate in ONE Championship, picking up her fifth straight victory at the promotion.
On the other hand, Meksen lost for the first time in four ONE bouts where her record now stands at 3-1. The kickboxing legend sees her impressive overall record drop to 103-6.
