Amber Kitchen‘s ONE Championship career has been a learning experience so far.
After three heartbreaking battles, the British star known as “AK 47” will shoot for her first promotional victory when she takes on four-time ISKA kickboxing world champion Martine Michieletto in a strawweight muay Thai bout at “ONE Fight Night 11: Eersel vs. Menshikov” on Prime Video this Friday, June 9.
When competing in muay Thai under the ONE banner, fighters wear four-ounce gloves and must familiarize themselves with the global muay Thai rule set.
As such, Kitchen has switched up her striking game significantly while getting used to fighting in the organization.
“(You have to) stand your ground. Don’t go back with one score, and it’s all about aggression. Mainly, watching back on my last one, I feel like I’ve adapted my training to flow as soon as I get thrown out. So, as to defend better, but attack more,” she explained.
“I feel that my defense is good. But also, now I’m working on my attack. Yeah, I feel confident in the little gloves. As I said before, I feel like they suit me better.”
The 24-year-old striker is the daughter of famed British kickboxing and muay Thai world champion Julie Kitchen, but she has carved out a reputation as a world-class fighter in her own right.
Kitchen is a WBC England muay Thai champion who arrived in ONE with much fanfare in 2019. Fighting in the Singapore-based promotion has taught the young star many lessons, however, not least of which is the toll that traveling takes on the body.
“Everyone just thinks, ‘Oh, yeah, wow, that’s amazing (traveling to compete),’” she said.
“But you’ve got to think about (factors like) you’re holding water on the plane. You got to think about your jet lag and your sleep. You’re acclimatizing, and it’s a lot.”
Preparation and training have also stepped up a notch for “AK 47,” as she chases her first win in ONE, and a recent move gives her daily access to some of the most experienced fighters in the U.K.
Now working with Leeds-based gym Bad Company – home to British muay Thai legends Liam Harrison and Andy Howson – full-time, Kitchen takes daily tips from those who have shared experience, allowing her to stay focused at all times.
“It’s nice to get advice from top fighters in the gym because they’ve been there, and they know what they’re on about. They have been through the same feelings as you,” she said.
“For little gloves, they are a different feeling on such a big stage. They understand. It’s not so much pressure, but there are kind of nerves that come with it and the big hype about it. It’s nice to have people to speak to.”
For those who live in the U.S. and Canada, watch ONE Fight Night 11 live and for free with an Amazon Prime subscription.
