Stamp Fairtex traded daily Muay Thai training for daily physical therapy sessions after a torn meniscus transformed the former three-sport ONE World Champion’s routine from throwing combinations into counting repetitions during two years that tested her mental strength more than any opponent ever could.

The 27-year-old Thai megastar returns from that extended absence on November 16 — her birthday — against four-time K-1 Champion Kana Morimoto in atomweight kickboxing action at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri inside Tokyo’s Ariake Arena, where nervous excitement replaces the doubt that once threatened to end her championship journey permanently.

The injury struck during sparring while preparing to defend her ONE Atomweight MMA World Title against Denice Zamboanga at ONE 167 in June 2024, forcing withdrawal that launched her into rehabilitation’s humbling cycle of slow, repetitive, painful exercises that became their own brutal form of training.

Recovery demanded patience Stamp didn’t know she possessed. Heavy striking sessions disappeared, replaced by measured stretches inside rehab rooms where small victories replaced knockout bonuses as her primary achievements. Some days she pushed too hard, forcing complete resets that sent her back to square one when premature optimism exceeded her body’s healing capacity.

“It was hard. Getting through each day felt like it required a lot of mental strength,” she said.

Progress nearly arrived in time for ONE 168: Denver in September 2024, where a strawweight MMA title shot against Xiong Jing Nan awaited until another setback delayed her comeback. Those additional months brought crucial confidence when sparring partners landed kicks that no longer hurt, signaling her knee had finally healed properly.

The moment doctors cleared her for competition, Stamp immediately requested fights. When ONE offered November 16 in Tokyo, she recognized the perfect opportunity — returning on her birthday fulfilled a dream she’d carried throughout rehabilitation’s darkest moments when others suggested retirement represented her wisest choice.

Those voices claiming she’d proven enough and should walk away only strengthened her resolve to showcase better versions of herself that injury had temporarily hidden.

“I fell, struggled, almost lost my hope, but I was able to come back,” she said. “That means you can come back too. You can do what you think is impossible.”

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