Shir Cohen Aims To Reclaim Stolen Championship Destiny Against Vero At ONE Friday Fights 143
Twice-scheduled title fights. Twice-withdrawn due to injury. Over a year away from competition while watching championship opportunities drift to others. For Shir Cohen, Friday, February 20, represents more than comeback against Myanmar power puncher Vero at ONE Friday Fights 143 inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium — it’s reclamation of what injuries stole when she stood one performance away from gold.
“I’ve been away for over a year. It was a very challenging time for me because I couldn’t fight, and there were many things out of my control,” the 25-year-old Israeli admitted. “I took this time to become a better fighter and a better version of myself. I kept training hard every day, kept improving my skills, and tried to be better every day.
Better means different when you’ve already earned your title shot once. Cohen’s October 2024 performance at ONE Fight Night 25 snapped Amy Pirnie’s 22-bout winning streak and validated her 2023 Road to ONE: Thailand championship. The victory positioned her as the clear challenger to Allycia Hellen Rodrigues’ atomweight Muay Thai crown, first scheduled for ONE Fight Night 29 in March 2025, then rescheduled to ONE Fight Night 32 in June after the first injury forced withdrawal.
But the second injury arrived, and with it the excruciating reality that championship windows don’t stay open indefinitely. Extended recovery at Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya sharpened weapons while watching the division move forward without her, while Vero built two-fight momentum that now threatens to permanently close that window.
The Myanmar brawler carries devastating boxing combinations and power built through Junior Fairtex’s first-round TKO destruction and Li Mingrui’s split decision defeat. Her 29-4 record features the exact style that exposes fighters returning from extended layoffs — relentless pressure that tests whether technical skills survived months away from competition.
Cohen acknowledges the threat while maintaining confidence that footwork and speed overcome raw strength.
“She’s a very good fighter. She has really good boxing and power, but I believe in myself. I believe in my hard work and my skills,” Cohen said. “I respect her, but we all come for the same goal. I come to win. My footwork and speed could be better [than hers], and could work for me for this fight. I’ve been working on it a lot, so I’m going to use this against her.”
Technical precision versus Myanmar demolition. The tactical chess match matters less than what victory represents for each fighter. Cohen looks to prove injuries delayed rather than derailed championship destiny, while Vero proves surging contenders can steal opportunities from established threats regardless of past credentials.
The stakes extend beyond personal redemption. Cohen eyes the March 13 ONE Fight Night 41 super-fight between Rodrigues and divisional kickboxing ruler Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom, knowing decisive victory Friday positions her as the clear next challenger regardless of who wins. That title shot was hers before injuries intervened.
“In this comeback fight, I want to show how much I have been working and how hungry I am to fight again. I want to show that I deserve to be here,” Cohen declared. “I will try my best to finish the fight. I know she is very strong, and she is very ready, but I’m confident in myself.
“I want to fight for the belt. I want to have the chance for a title shot. This is my dream, this is my goal,” Cohen concluded. “I will work hard for that to happen.”
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