Xiong Jing Nan vs. Ayaka Miura, ONE Championship: Heavy Hitters
Friday, January 14, 2022
It’s a bit odd seeing a women’s strawweight fight headline a card entitled Heavy Hitters — shouldn’t it be the heavyweights? Then again, Xiong Jing Nan has ten wins by way of KO/TKO, so it’s hard to argue against “The Panda.”
Jing Nan has won every fight in ONE that she’s taken in the strawweight division, with her lone loss coming in a failed bid to claim a second title at atomweight. Given that fight came against Angela Lee — who Xiong Jing Nan defeated when Lee tried to claim a second belt of her own at strawweight — their series was pretty much a wash. And since that defeat, Jing Nan has successfully defended her belt twice.
For Japan’s Ayaka Miura, Heavy Hitters marks a chance to truly arrive on the big stage. She’s 5-1 under the ONE Championship banner, but just a single fight removed from her sole loss in the promotion. Still, a scarf-hold American submission in her last outing was enough to secure a title shot against Jing Nan — and the China vs. Japan rivalry sells itself.
ONE has done a remarkable job with their women’s divisions, and Jing Nan’s status as China first, and now only, major MMA champion should result in plenty of interest in this one.
