5 Things To Know About Kickboxing Star Cristina Morales
Cristina Morales will make her ONE Super Series debut on a historic platform, but the Spanish athlete has the physical and mental fortitude to rise to the task.
The decorated kickboxer from Seville is set to face pound-for-pound great Anissa “C18” Meksen as part of the promotion’s first all-female card at ONE: EMPOWER this Friday, 3 September.
Morales has achieved a lot in her career to earn this massive opportunity. Here are five things you need to know about the 29-year-old before her first appearance on the global stage.
#1 She’s A Decorated Champion
Morales is entering ONE Super Series with a long list of impressive accolades.
Most notably, she is the reigning ISKA Atomweight K-1 World Champion, earning the belt with a knockout win over Fanny Ramos in March 2019 and successfully defending it twice since.
No stranger to playing her part in history, Morales was also the first Spaniard to win an ISKA World Title.
#2 She’s Not Afraid Of Tough Tests
While many athletes would have second thoughts about stepping up to face Meksen in such a high-profile debut, Morales has shown that she thrives on these kinds of challenges.
For instance, the Spaniard accepted her ISKA World Title fight just 15 days before the event but went on to win in emphatic fashion.
She’s also competed outside of her comfort zone many times before — in different countries around Europe and for K-1 in Japan.
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#3 She’s A Mother Of Two
Morales is a proud mother of two boys, aged 3 and 7.
And while she put her career on hold for two-and-a-half years around her first pregnancy, the striking sensation returned to the ring just three months after her second son was born.
#4 A Family Affair
The atomweight star’s sporting and home lives are inextricably linked, as she is married to her coach, Jesus Cabello.
Cabello is the head of Team Jesus Cabello — the region’s most successful kickboxing outfit. The Seville club boasts multiple World Champions and leading Spanish stars, including Alejandro Rivas, who is also signed to ONE.
The husband-and-wife duo seems to have hit the right notes, with a strong relationship inside and outside the gym that has pushed Morales to the highest level of competition.
#5 She’s A Psychology Expert
Along with her physical prowess, Morales can also flex her gray matter.
She holds a degree in Sports Psychology, which has no doubt helped her own competitive career.
However, she also uses it for social good, volunteering with high-risk children and using her combination of studies and martial arts experience to steer them away from trouble and violence.
Read more: Back In Grand Prix, Phogat Wants To Make Statement Against Meng Bo
