Scottish Muay Thai star Amy Pirnie has long been regarded as one of the best female strikers in the world.
It’s been three years since she last competed. But the chance to debut at ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart in atomweight Muay Thai inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium on Saturday, 3rd August, was enough to entice her to get back to action.
“I’m buzzing to come back on a stage like this. Everybody knows ONE Championship, even people who aren’t clued up on Muay Thai. So I do feel like there is a lot of buzz about it, especially on social media,” Pirnie said.
The Glasgow native’s first assignment in ONE is prominent knockout artist Yu Yau Pui. Yu has been making waves since her arrival in the world’s largest martial arts organization in February 2023.
She punched her ticket to the main roster after amassing five victories, with three knockouts, destroying Zehra Dogan at ONE Friday Fights 41 before outclassing Lara Fernandez on the big stage at ONE Fight Night 20 this past March.
For Pirnie, being tasked with fighting a striker in great form in her first promotional outing gives her plenty of confidence.
Beating Yu would get her off to a great start in ONE Championship, and it would round her winning streak up to a mindblowing 20 fights, so the Scottish star has done her homework and figured out what needs to be done.
“It’s exciting to fight someone who is doing so well in ONE. She’s 6-0, and she’s walked through everybody, but if I beat her, that puts me in a very good starting position,” Pirnie said.
“Yu Yau Pui is super aggressive. She just constantly walks forward. She’s on the front foot all the time, and she’s got a very, very high work rate. She’s obviously very fit and constantly throws hands all the time. I would say those are the main plus points for her.”
The pair’s atomweight Muay Thai clash at ONE Fight Night 24 is expected to be a barnburner as both are decorated finishers.
Pirnie knows that meeting a fellow knockout specialist can often lead to a stalemate, so she is ready to go all three rounds. But if the opportunity arises for her to end proceedings before the bell for the 10th time in he career, she says she’ll snatch it.
“I feel like my fighting style will be a big factor. I predominantly like to counter and draw people in, letting them make their mistakes and use that to my advantage for more effective shots to land,” Pirnie said.
“I think she’s tough, she is aggressive, she has a good engine, and it is only three rounds. So I reckon that I will win the fight, but it will most likely go to a points decision. But anything can happen with these [smaller 4-ounce] gloves.”
