5 Facts About Muay Thai Phenom Marie Ruumet Ahead Of Her Bout At ONE Friday Fights 2

Marie Ruumet has earned legions of fans with some impressive and courageous performances in ONE Championship, but like her “Snow Leopard” nickname, the 23-year-old prefers to keep a low profile.

The self-confessed introvert lets her fighting do most of the talking, and that will be the case in her atomweight Muay Thai matchup against Thai-Ngan Le at ONE Friday Fights 2 on January 27.

However, there’s still plenty to know about Ruumet. Here are five interesting facts about the Marrok Force representative before she returns at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. 

#1 She’s The Only ONE Athlete From Estonia

Ruumet was born in the small Estonian town of Sindi, which has around 4,000 residents.

She was an active child who participated in swimming, horse riding, table tennis, and even hip-hop dancing. But once she tried Muay Thai for fitness at the age of 15, she knew she’d found her true calling. 

Less than two years later, “Snow Leopard” decided she wanted to pursue a serious career in “the art of eight limbs.”

#2 She Quit School To Become A Full-Time Fighter

Ruumet’s home country isn’t particularly known for its export of combat sports athletes, but she broke the mold when she left school at 17 and moved to Thailand.

“Snow Leopard” has now been there since 2017, working her way up through the Muay Thai ranks to become the only athlete from Estonia to reach the world’s largest martial arts organization.

Having faced some of the planet’s greatest strikers already, Ruumet is proving that she belongs alongside the elite – and there’s so much more potential to tap into.

#3 How She Became Known As ‘Snow Leopard’

Ruumet was training in Chiang Mai, Thailand, when she signed with ONE, and her team there decided that she needed a nickname to boost her profile on the global stage. 

During a brainstorming session, the Estonian rising star revealed her love for cats, so various feline ideas were thrown around, but nothing felt like a good fit.

Then, a friend from the gym joined the conversation and offered up “Snow Leopard,” which clicked with the group instantly and has stuck ever since.

#4 She Loves The Great Outdoors

Ruumet moved from Chiang Mai to Bangkok to train at Marrok Force last year, but there was one downside to life in the big city.

“Snow Leopard” is a nature lover, and there isn’t much of that on your doorstep when you live in a buzzing metropolis.

She explained:

“In Estonia, there’s a lot of forests, a lot of nature. In Chiang Mai, I would often go to the mountains, and there are nature trails that you can go to that are really nice. So that’s what I actually really miss here in Bangkok.”

#5 She’s An Avid Reader

All was not lost for Ruumet, however, as her other big hobby outside of Muay Thai is reading.

Generally liking her own company, the reserved 23-year-old likes to immerse herself in an exciting fiction novel.

She added:

“I like to read crime stories. And I like adventure. Just something to escape from the everyday world.”