Xiong Jing Nan Desires To KO Ayaka Miura, Eyes Atomweight Return

Xiong claimed the inaugural ONE Ladies’s Strawweight World Title in January 2018, has defended her crown 5 occasions, and holds the report for many knockouts throughout all of the promotion’s feminine divisions. What’s extra, she has principally cleared out the top-five ranked MMA fighters in her weight class.

Nonetheless, that doesn’t make her really feel invincible.

The common-or-garden Chinese language famous person is aware of that each bout poses a brand new menace. That stops her from resting on her laurels and retains her motivated by way of each arduous coaching camp.

“I’ve been efficiently defending my championship since 2018. I’m undoubtedly pleased with myself, however I’m by no means boastful. I gained’t ever showcase with my previous achievements,” Xiong says. 

“I by no means regard myself as an unbeatable fighter. There’s nobody who can by no means lose a combat. Nevertheless, at the moment, what I must do is to turn out to be increasingly highly effective. Proper now, I simply need to be unstoppable.

“Everybody has their greatest aspect. And, after all, everybody may even have a weak aspect. I consider that everybody might be a powerful opponent, whereas being weak at occasions.”

In Miura, “The Panda” sees a reliable and aggressive floor fighter who has some very particular instruments that she must overcome. 

The Japanese phenom is a third-degree judo black belt who owns a powerful 11-3 (1 NC) profession report, with 4 of these wins approaching the worldwide stage. Furthermore, she earned these quartet of victories together with her trademark scarfhold Americana, which has actually gained Xiong’s consideration.

And with three of these wins occurring within the strawweight division, that makes “Zombie” the reigning submission queen of the load class.

“There’s little question that Miura is a superb athlete. She’s actually good at floor preventing strategies and jiu-jitsu strategies. It’s actually laborious to flee as soon as she has grappled you,” the Chinese language powerhouse explains.

“She likes to finish each combat together with her greatest shoulder lock approach from kesa gatame. And he or she has even injured her opponents’ elbows with it.

“It’s a brand new problem for me, a higher-level and far more durable one. I’m not afraid. It’s simply that I have to be extra considerate. I’ve foreseen some eventualities that I would get into, and the way ought to I cope with them.”

On the plus aspect, Xiong will probably be well-versed together with her recreation plan heading into one other battle with a floor specialist.

She has ready twice for BJJ black belt and ONE Ladies’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee, and her final win came to visit grappling legend Michelle Nicolini. 

“I’ve fought in opposition to wonderful floor fighters and I’ve been at all times nicely ready with takedown protection ways,” she says.

“In my final combat, I defeated Michelle Nicolini, who’s an eight-time [IBJJF] World Champion. Miura may need not gained any BJJ World Championships, but it surely doesn’t imply that she’s not adequate. 

“Like I mentioned, her shoulder lock from the kesa gatame is basically nice. It would work on totally different opponents, however I’m going to show that it doesn’t work on me.”

Regardless of the large activity forward, Miura didn’t appear too fazed by poking the bear and acknowledged that “The Panda’s” newest bouts have been boring — even suggesting that the World Champion had misplaced a few of her ending capability.

Xiong isn’t famend for moving into back-and-forth verbal spats together with her adversaries, however she did rise to “Zombie’s” remarks and mentioned that her newest challenger would get to really feel it for herself once they sq. off.

“Miura thinks my fights are boring? So, how about attempting one thing new on this combat in order that she gained’t get bored?” she retorts. 

“She additionally thinks that I’m not in a position to knock down any opponent? She thinks I’m shedding the flexibility to KO? We’ll see within the ring. I’ll present her what a KO is and the way it feels to be knocked down by Xiong Jing Nan.”

The Chinese language famous person gained’t let any discuss detract from her major focus, nevertheless. She needs to hone her personal recreation and impose her will on Miura.

“I’ll solely focus by myself energy and skill, together with my punches, kicks, floor preventing, and wrestling. I gained’t get influenced by any exterior elements,” she provides.

Including to her legacy with a win is crucial factor for Xiong — although it may see her successfully filter out her division with wins over the main contenders. 

That provides some pleasure for future matchups, as “The Panda” seems to be to insert herself into the buzzing atomweight combine — with an previous foe nonetheless in her sights and the hope to settle some unfinished enterprise in a trilogy bout.

“I prefer to at all times absolutely deal with the present stuff earlier than I can transfer ahead. However now that I’m requested, after this combat, a part of my plan is to take part in atomweight fights,” she says.

“In fact, I’ve been trying ahead to the third combat in opposition to Angela Lee. That combat is what I’ve been trying ahead to on a regular basis.”

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