Supergirl Warns Barbie: ‘My Punches Are Not To Be Fooled Around With’
After recently joining forces with her older sister, Wondergirl, at Marrok Force MMA in Bangkok, Supergirl has been preparing diligently for her second ONE Super Series showdown.
That showdown will happen at ONE Championship’s first event of 2022.
The 18-year-old Thai phenom makes her highly anticipated return against Ekaterina “Barbie” Vandaryeva in a strawweight Muay Thai bout at ONE: HEAVY HITTERS, which broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, 14 January.
“Her kicks are super fast and she looks quite stronger than I am, so I’m now trying to bulk up,” Supergirl says of the Belarusian striker.
With age comes natural power, so Supergirl may be onto something.
Still, the Thai isn’t letting those perceived advantages deflate her confidence because she knows the outcome of the match will come down to more than just those factors.
“Not everything depends on age and strength,” she continues. “There are things I can use to fight her, like my techniques.”
One of those techniques is Supergirl’s unique stabbing knee, a crippling attack she throws by lifting her thigh until it’s parallel to the ground and then thrusting her knee forward into her opponent’s abdomen.
The Thai has mastered the movement so well that she can throw it even while hip-to-hip inside the clinch.
But during her promotional debut at ONE: A NEW BREED II, it was another technique – her piston-like right hand – that earned her a victory over Milagros Lopez.
Supergirl may have knocked the Brazilian out in 60 seconds, but the teen star feels like she barely showed her full potential.
“I was so nervous in that fight, I didn’t really do what I thought [I should’ve]. Everything happened from muscle memory. Like when I grabbed her leg and punched her, I didn’t plan to do that. It happened automatically because once you’re punched, you punch back,” she says.
“When I won, I felt like it went so fast. I was so nervous, and it ended in just one minute. I didn’t even put my all in yet.”
- Aygun Warns Confident Kryklia: ‘I’ll Show Him What Easy Work Is’
- Malykhin Vs. Grishenko World Title Fight Tops ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE
- Janet Todd Wins 2021 Female ONE Super Series Striker Of The Year
At ONE: HEAVY HITTERS, Supergirl gets another chance to showcase her full arsenal under the global Muay Thai rule set.
And should the Marrok Force athlete score another fast win, it may set her on the path toward a ONE World Title bout.
But if you ask Supergirl, World Title bouts will have to wait. If the teenage sensation gets past Vandaryeva, she wants to settle business with one particular Muay Thai star first – the woman who handed her older sister her only loss inside the Circle.
“It’s Jackie [Buntan], no doubt, because I want to take revenge for [Wondergirl],” Supergirl says.
Vandaryeva, however, will be looking to beat Supergirl for the same reason.
“Barbie” lost to Buntan via majority decision in April 2021 and would love another shot at the Boxing Works product. Now, Supergirl suspects that the 30-year-old Belarusian will use her muscle and experience to power herself toward a rematch with the Filipina-American.
With that said, the Thai teenager is sending the veteran a clear warning.
“I might be young,” she says, “but my punches are not to be fooled around with.”
Read more: Roman Kryklia Thinks He Can Dominate ‘Predictable’ Murat Aygun
