‘I Consider Myself An Underdog’ – Yu Yau Pui Humble Ahead Of Clash With Amy Pirnie At ONE Fight Night 24
Although Yu Yau Pui is heading into ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart on Prime Video with plenty of fanfare, she doesn’t see it that way.
The Hong Kong native will face Scottish star Amy Pirnie in an atomweight Muay Thai clash in U.S. primetime on Friday, August 2, but despite owning a perfect 6-0 slate in ONE Championship, she views her opponent as the more established competitor.
Yu was watching as a fan while Pirnie was competing across the globe against elite opposition, and she holds the world-class striker in high regard ahead of their battle at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The KF 1 representative told onefc.com:
“I actually heard about Pirnie a very long time ago because she’s very renowned as a female fighter. She’s very strong and very powerful.
“When I first heard her name, I don’t remember if I had even started competing yet. I know that she has so much experience on many platforms and many big stages. I consider myself an underdog.”
Pirnie has claimed prestigious accolades in Europe, North America, and Asia, defeating many established names in the process. However, she’s been on the sidelines for three years since successfully defending the Lion Fight Championship in 2021.
Meanwhile, Yu is in the midst of a blistering run of form. Her six straight victories in ONE have cemented her status as one of the best on the planet, and she believes that staying active could play a crucial role the longer this fight goes.
Yu explained:
“Pirnie is a very experienced fighter. She definitely has the KO power because she’s very muscular. But I think if you have one strength, you also have weaknesses. I know to maintain such a muscular body, you need to consume a lot of energy. Because she has not fought for a long time, I may have better conditioning than her.
“I don’t know about the beginning of the fight, but I hope it will last for three rounds, where I can definitely find her weaknesses and find a way to work through [her strengths].
“I don’t like predictions. I know that anything could happen inside the ring and everything is possible. I’ll just let my fight tell the story.”
Yu Not Worried About Her Perfect ONE Record
Yu Yau Pui was one of the standout stars of ONE Friday Fights in 2023, and after bagging a six-figure contract to compete on the global roster, she’s continued to impress.
The Hong Kong athlete defeated Lara Fernandez in her U.S. primetime debut to go 6-0 in the world’s largest martial arts organization, but she’s not defining her success by the zero:
“I’m not the kind of person who’s very afraid of losing. I don’t think anybody can be undefeated for their entire career. There are so many opponents who are stronger than you, smarter than you. You will be defeated one day.
“The problem is how you take the failure and how you treat it as a lesson to grow, to learn, to reveal the mistakes, and to improve yourself. That’s all that matters.”
Of course, Yu knows the fastest way to work toward the ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Title is to keep winning, and she would love to face off against divisional queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues.
The 31-year-old isn’t necessarily expecting a shot at gold if she adds a seventh win to her impressive streak, but she’ll be ready if the opportunity presents itself.
Yu added:
“I don’t know [if a win would earn a World Title shot]. It depends on ONE Championship. It depends on Mr. Chatri. But now that I’m in ONE Championship, when the time comes, I’ll beat her if I can.
“She’s very strong. Not just her body, of course, but her mindset is also very strong. After she gave birth, she came back and defended her title. I think this is a very powerful thing for female fighters to do. She’s also very skillful. I respect her a lot.
“If I get a title shot and it’s a five-round match, I will need to find an opening to defeat her in round three or round four maybe.”
