Selina Flores Primed For ONE Debut Against Marie McManamon
Selina Flores enters Friday’s atomweight Muay Thai collision carrying WBC World Championship experience and the supreme confidence that comes with dismissing your opponent’s most dangerous weapons as fundamentally ineffective, setting the stage for her bout against redemption-seeking Marie McManamon.
The American star makes her promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 36: Prajanchai vs. Di Bella II on Prime Video on October 3, broadcasting live from Bangkok in U.S. primetime where championship credentials collide with veteran determination in a pivotal atomweight showdown.
Flores captured the WBC Super Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship last October, becoming only the third American to achieve that distinction. The San Diego native has studied McManamon’s recent work and identified what she believes is a critical weakness that will decide their encounter.
The 27-year-old fondly known as “The Teep Queen” acknowledges her opponent’s range management and technical understanding but questions whether those skills translate to actual damage.
“She has a good understanding of her range and her kicks. She’s long and she knows how to use her kicks, but I just think that they’re not damaging,” Flores said. “They’re not very effective because they’re just too soft.”
That dismissal fuels Flores’ sky-high expectations for her ONE debut, where she refuses to accept anything less than complete dominance regardless of how victory arrives.
“Whether it is a unanimous decision, whether it’s a TKO or a KO, those are the only three options that I have in my brain,” she said. “I expect nothing less of myself than to absolutely dominate her in every situation.”
But McManamon carries her own blueprint for success built on the painful lessons learned from her short-notice promotional debut against reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues at ONE Fight Night 29 in March. The Irish-English striker has maintained continuous training since April, refining weaknesses exposed in that challenge.
The 35-year-old Knowlesy Academy representative believes Flores’ discomfort in close quarters plays directly into her most dangerous strength. McManamon’s clinch work has shut down countless opponents through devastating combinations of punches, elbows, and knees.
“I do my best work in the clinch, and I think that will be the toughest area of this fight for her,” she said. “I don’t hold anything back when we fight up close, and we’ll see if she can handle things in there.”
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