Phetjeeja Out of ONE World Title Defense Due to Injury

A highly anticipated ONE Women's Atomweight Kickboxing World Title defense has been called off. Phetjeeja has withdrawn from her scheduled bout against Antonia Prifti at The Inner Circle 28 event, which was set to stream live from Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium. The reason for her withdrawal is a hand injury sustained during her training camp.

This unfortunate turn of events is a significant setback for Prifti, who was slated to make her ONE Championship debut and immediately vie for a World Title. The 24-year-old Greek striker, boasting a 25-3 professional record and a former K-1 Women's Flyweight Championship title, was one of the most eagerly awaited newcomers on the fight card.

Phetjeeja's immediate future in the ring is now uncertain. She was aiming to reassert her dominance in kickboxing following a previous attempt at two-sport championship success against Allycia Hellen Rodrigues. With an impressive 210-6 career record and an 8-1 record within ONE Championship, Phetjeeja was considered the favorite against Prifti, having secured four consecutive TKO victories, an interim title win over Anissa Meksen, and a unification bout victory against Janet Todd.

ONE Championship has not yet provided an update on a potential rescheduled date for the fight or a timeline for Phetjeeja's return. This delay also impacts the queue of contenders vying for a shot at the title, including Kana, who has previously expressed interest in facing Phetjeeja.

The remainder of The Inner Circle 28 fight card will proceed as planned, with organizers expected to adjust the lineup to accommodate the vacant headlining spot. For Prifti, the wait for her promotional debut and her first opportunity to capture ONE gold is now indefinitely extended, a frustrating outcome for a fighter who had prepared extensively to make a strong impression against a champion of Phetjeeja's stature.