ONE: Heavy Hitters – Ekaterina Vandaryeva warns Supergirl of knockout finish

The 30-year-old will have a tough assignment when she meets the young Thai star in a three-round strawweight Muay Thai clash. The “Barbie” views the Jaroonsak Muaythai representative as a highly-skilled athlete.

“She is somewhat unusual because Thai athletes don’t like using their boxing very much. They do it rarely, mostly to distract and land a middle kick, get into the clinch, and so on. But she keeps rushing with her punches endlessly,” Vandaryeva said.

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“She is good with her knees, but every action has a counter, and I know what to do to block. She won’t surprise me.”

The Kick Fighter Gym star recognizes a good opponent when she sees one, but the Belarusian star never backs away from them.

While her 18-year-old foe’s ruthlessness on offense could be a significant threat, “Barbie” believes it could be her downfall too.

“At her age, you don’t analyze much. You just come out and keep hitting. You don’t even think much if you’re tired or not. You go and strike until you’re dead. This is an advantage of being young,” she expressed.

“But later, when you grow up, you start analyzing, thinking what’s working, what to do next, and sometimes it does you a favor, especially in sport.”

“She has serious weaknesses in her defense, especially when she’s flying forward, and she may miss a lot. When she misses her strikes, her energy will disappear. I need to be smarter and use better techniques.”

Despite two losses on the global stage against reigning atomweight kickboxing queen Janet “JT” Todd and rising star Jackie Buntan, Vandaryeva is still determined to get her first victory in ONE Championship’s all-striking division.

The multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion would love to add ONE gold to her trophy collection, and her march towards the title starts this Friday.

“Of course, I would like to finish with a knockout, but victory is most important,” the Minsk native offered.

“I love to hit very accurately and very harshly, and when I hit the target, I don’t stop – I finish it off.”

Download the ONE Super App to catch all the action at ONE: Heavy Hitters. Fans in India can watch the show live on Disney+ Hotstar or Star Sports Select 2, beginning with the lead card at 3:30 PM IST on Friday (January 14).

Source: Media Release