Defying The Doubters: Wondergirl Proud To Help Blaze A Trail For Women Superstars In Martial Arts
Thai sensation Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak is no stranger to proving her doubters wrong.
On Friday, September 29, she’ll have another opportunity to shine on the global stage when she squares off with longtime strawweight MMA queen Xiong Jing Nan in a first-of-its-kind special rules striking contest at ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs. Ham on Prime Video.
The stacked U.S. primetime card is also headlined by a trio of Women’s World Title fights in three different sports, making it a massive night for women’s martial arts as a whole.
With that in mind, “Wondergirl” vividly remembers a time when a career in combat sports was virtually unheard of for girls.
In fact, she recalls being told that her dream of becoming an international Muay Thai superstar was simply not possible:
“When I was in middle school or even earlier, most people said fighting wasn’t a potential career for me. They said I wouldn’t be able to go this far, make money, and do something like this.
“They said it had no future.”
Now a two-time Thailand Muay Thai Champion and veteran of five battles under ONE’s bright lights in Muay Thai and MMA, Nat has certainly done more than enough to prove those naysayers wrong.
Still, it wasn’t easy for the aspiring fighter to forge her own path in the male-dominated world of Muay Thai.
The 24-year-old explained:
“People at school, they just didn’t understand what we were doing, that girls could be successful with a fighting career, so sometimes it was hard.
“No one knew if it would work or not. No one knew the future. So yeah, I felt like the black sheep in my childhood. People didn’t believe what I was doing was good for me.”
Fortunately for “Wondergirl” – and for martial arts fans – she remained steadfast in her mission, amassing more than 30 professional Muay Thai victories on her way to the world’s largest martial arts organization.
And while she’s yet to achieve her ultimate goal of capturing a ONE World Title, the Thai has accomplished the previously unthinkable – becoming a global martial arts icon.
She said:
“Fighting for ONE has changed my life a lot. Before, I never thought fighting as a woman would make me any money or anything, or that people would look at me as a hero in martial arts.
“Back then, even the guys only thought about fighting to make money. We didn’t think of ourselves as brave or that we’re heroes. We went into the ring and fought. We weren’t treated well. ONE treats fighters like heroes, which is amazing to say this happened.”
Wondergirl Thrilled To See Women Headling ONE Fight Night 14
Nat Jaroonsak’s ascension to the top of the combat sports world has been nothing short of sensational, but her success story is far from unique.
According to “Wondergirl,” ONE Championship is changing the game for women in Muay Thai, creating new openings for other Thai athletes just like herself:
“Back then, only men could get to the top and earn money or a World Title. Now, women can do that too. In ONE Championship, there are many female Muay Thai and kickboxing fighters. This is good for us.”
On September 29, Nat will join a star-studded cast of female fighters at ONE Fight Night 14 as women’s martial arts take center stage – something the Thai phenom never could have imagined.
She added:
“I grew up with Muay Thai. Female fighters didn’t really get that much attention from the [fight] community or the audience. They always put the girl fights at the beginning of the shows, or the last one [after the main event].
“I feel really happy that ONE makes the female fighters as important as the men. It’s great to see this development. I’ve never seen something like this before in my whole career.”
