Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: It’s been a long 10-month wait for Ann “Athena” Osman to get back into the ring.
But that day has finally arrived as she squares up against Ana “Hurricane” Julaton in the ONE FC: Reign of Champions at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Friday.
Ann has not fought since her debut in the ONE FC: Total Domination last October, when she lost to Singapore’s Sherilyn Lim via a split decision. The eagerly awaited re-match was scrapped when Sherilyn failed to make the weight for the March bout.
“When the March fight didn’t pan out, I was disappointed. But I was just hungry for a fight. And my wish came true with Reign of Champions when the fight against Ana came knocking on my door,” said Ann of her upcoming flyweight bout.
“It was sooner than expected ... I was thinking maybe September or October but August is great timing!” she quipped.
Filipino-American Ana made her debut in the Rise of Heroes in Manila in May. Backed by a boisterous home crowd, the 34-year-old punched her way to a TKO win over Egypt’s Aya Saeid Saber in the third round.
Going up against a former WBO and IBA Super Bantamweight world champion, Ann, 28, definitely will have something to prove this time around against a much more experienced opponent.
“She’s (Ana) got a solid striking background but her ground skills are on the rise. After her last fight, I’m sure she’s worked on her ground skills a lot more, so you can’t expect the same Ana to show up.
“My background is muay thai, but I’ve also added wresting and jiu jitsu to my repertoire. You have to keep adding to your skills and developing as a fighter.”
The fight card also features another Malaysian muay thai specialist Ali Yaakub, who makes his ONE FC debut against Thailand’s Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke.
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