Little Tiger Confident Before ONE Debut: ‘I’m Going To Win’
Six-time Muay Thai World Champion Ayaka “Little Tiger” Miyauchi will make her much-anticipated ONE Championship debut against Marie “Snow Leopard” Ruumet at ONE: NO SURRENDER IⅡ this Friday, 21 August.
In that atomweight Muay Thai clash, the 37-year-old Miyauchi will also become the first Japanese woman to compete in ONE Super Series.
To date, the Tokyo native owns a professional record of 35-19-5. She first appeared as a kickboxer in 2007, but she switched to Muay Thai in 2011 and then relocated to the sport’s birthplace of Thailand in 2016.
Following that move, Little Tiger continued to train hard in hopes of landing a spot on the global stage. That big dream was realized in October 2019 after she competed in ONE Warrior Series.
“Honestly, I was just happy,” she recalls. “And also, I felt like, ‘Finally, it’s come!'”
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Now, Little Tiger is studying her opponent as she prepares for Friday’s debut. Among other things, Ruumet’s 167-centimeter height stands out compared to her own 157-centimeter frame.
“[Ruumet] is tall and makes use of her long reach as an advantage in bouts,” the Tokyo native says.
As part of her training camp for this bout, Little Tiger – who normally weighs 47 kilograms – has focused on adding five kilograms of muscle for this atomweight clash.
“I am working on gaining weight,” she says. “It is harder than losing weight. I need to keep eating all day long. I eat meals four times a day, plus snacks.”
Despite her size disadvantage, Little Tiger is quite confident she has the tools necessary to defeat her Estonian rival.
“I’m going to win my first bout in ONE,” she states. “I have speed, technique, and experience.”
That confidence also comes from her track record, as the Japanese star has not been knocked out in her entire martial arts career.
“I have never been floored,” she adds. “I won’t be knocked down ever.”
Finally, there is another element that could aid the six-time Muay Thai World Champion on Friday, as ONE: NO SURRENDER III emanates from her “second home” of Bangkok.
“I would appreciate it if I receive encouragement from both Thai and Japanese fans,” the veteran says.
“I want to show them the Little Tiger who fights beautifully and stylishly in Muay Thai.”
Read more: 5 Reasons Why You Can’t Miss ONE: NO SURRENDER III
