Phetjeeja returns to former gym for Muay Thai comeback: “We took care of each other”

ONE Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion Phetjeeja faces Martyna Dominczak in atomweight Muay Thai action at ONE Fight Night 38 on Friday, December 5, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The 23-year-old Thai returns to her roots at Team Mehdi Zatout where her journey to glory began, and a victory would position her as the next challenger for Allycia Hellen Rodrigues’ ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Title.

Before this fight, Phetjeeja needed to defend her kickboxing throne against Kana Morimoto at ONE 172 this past March in Tokyo. She delivered a clinical unanimous decision victory while silencing a Japanese crowd. That Tokyo trip gave her something more valuable than a title defense. It was the chance to reconnect with her former coach, Mehdi Zatout.

Misunderstandings outside the ring had distanced the two, forcing her to leave the Pattaya-based camp in 2024. Phetjeeja briefly moved to Sor Dechapan Gym, but her heart never left Team Mehdi Zatout. When they reunited in Japan, old wounds began to heal. That moment proved what she had always known. Her former coach held her best interests at heart, even after their disagreements.

She rejoined Team Mehdi Zatout in October, which couldn’t have come at a more opportune time as she chases a second ONE World Title. As phenomenal as she’s been in kickboxing, Phetjeeja does her best work in Muay Thai, where she can unleash devastating elbows and crushing clinch work. Before transitioning to kickboxing, she went 4-0 in Muay Thai at ONE Friday Fights, finishing every opponent.

“It was the best feeling. It was a huge relief because fighting Japanese opponents are always tough for me. Their style makes it difficult to fight; they are fast. Plus, you don’t know what kind of game plan they’ll bring. So I was really happy to defend my belt,” she said.

“When I was fighting in Japan, that’s when I finally got to talk to Mehdi. Before that, we hadn’t talked at all, which left some unfinished business and misunderstandings. When I saw him, it made me miss the time when we took care of each other. When I was doing my warm-ups, Mehdi still came over and coached me, just like before. He still cared and gave me advice.”

Phetjeeja chases two-sport glory against Martyna Dominczak

Phetjeeja is one of the pound-for-pound best female strikers alive, having defeated legends Anissa Meksen and Janet Todd to capture and unify kickboxing gold. Yet for all those accomplishments, a void remains that only a ONE Muay Thai World Title could fill.

She knows Dominczak poses a serious threat. The Polish contender brings genuine danger, and both fighters want the same reward, a shot at Rodrigues. On December 5, in the promotion’s final U.S. primetime event of the year, only one will earn it.

“The training system at [Team Mehdi Zatout] is what I was used to and what I trained in the most. So I decided to come back here and train fully,” she said. “Honestly, I missed this place. It’s where I started, where we fought together, where we struggled together, and where I became a champion. I feel that way about this place.”

“My dream is to win the ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship and become a two-sport ONE World Champion. I believe that if I put on a good performance in this fight and get an impressive win, I might get the chance to challenge Allycia Hellen Rodrigues in my very next fight.”