Chinese kickboxing world champion Kai Ting “Killer Bee” Chuang produced a performance to remember at ONE: BATTLE FOR THE HEAVENS to capture the inaugural ONE Super Series Atomweight Kickboxing World Championship.
Chuang’s defeat of Yodcherry Sityodtong in China was historic for a number of reasons. Not only was it her debut appearance in ONE Championship, it saw her become the first-ever women’s World Champion in ONE Super Series.
Despite being the elder of the two, 23-year-old Chuang conceded a colossal experience advantage to her 19-year-old opponent, who was making the 101st appearance of her career at the Guangzhou Tianhe Gymnasium.
However, it was Chuang who started strongest, coming forward aggressively and throwing multi-strike combinations in the opening round.
The Chinese athlete appeared to have a speed and power advantage over the Thai teenager, who looked a little lacking in confidence, despite her previous century of contests.
Chuang’s assertive, high-pressure style continued in the second round as she drove her younger opponent back using impressive hand speed and punching power.
Yodcherry looked to be struggling slightly with the kickboxing rules, which effectively negated her Muay Thai clinch attack, as she found herself unable to fend off the relentless pressure of the 23-year-old Chinese kickboxer in the first three rounds of the contest.
With the three-time WAKO Kickboxing Champion holding the advantage heading into the championship rounds, Yodcherry started to find her feet, as she used her footwork to make the space she needed for her punishing roundhouse kicks.
It meant Chuang had to work even harder in the final three minutes to close the distance and land her punches without taking damage from the Thai starlet’s kicks. “Killer Bee” timed her attacks well, launching her multi-punch blitzes immediately after Yodcherry threw a kick.
After a fast-paced five rounds, the bout went to the scorecards, with all three judges agreeing Chuang had done enough to capture the inaugural title.
It completes a remarkable journey for a young martial artist who was abandoned in an orphanage by her parents as a baby, and adopted by her grandmother.
From an abandoned infant to the first-ever female ONE Super Series World Champion, Saturday, 7 July will live long in the memory of ONE’s newest World Champion, Kai Ting Chuang.
