Jingnan Xiong Returns to Her Roots Ahead of ONE on Prime Video 14

Jingnan Xiong has conquered nearly every challenge set in front of her since winning the inaugural One Championship strawweight title six years ago. With few challengers remaining in her division, the only way for “The Panda” to push herself is to limit her diverse skill set against one of the most dangerous strikers on the planet.

That is exactly what she will have to do when she faces muay thai phenom Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak in a ONE on Prime Video 14 special rules match a on Sept. 29 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. The bout prohibits kicks, knees, elbows and grappling but allows all forms of punching techniques. Jaroonsak could pose problems for ONE’s reigning strawweight empress, but Xiong believes her boxing prowess should not be underestimated.

“I think there will be a different pressure, but I will turn this pressure into motivation,” she told Sherdog.com. “I think pressure is a very good thing and will motivate me to find more improvement.”

With nearly 20 years of experience in combat sports, Xiong plans to return to her roots for this fight. A former member of the Chinese national boxing team, she developed her thudding right cross in the ring before ever stepping foot in the cage. Xiong has always been a formidable slugger. In her One Championship debut in December 2017, she knocked out April Oseno in the opening round. Six weeks later, she was crowned the inaugural strawweight champion after stopping Tiffany Teo with a flurry of fists in Round 4. The win not only brought her the belt but the honor of being the first Chinese mixed martial artist to win a world title.

“I’m really proud of that,” Xiong said. “Some people have said I can be a pioneer of MMA in China, but I still think there’s still room for improvement in the future. In our country, we believe to ‘live at large,’ so I know I need to work harder to be a better role model to others.”

Since her historic victory, Xiong has defended her strawweight championship seven times, including twice against archrival and reigning atomweight titleholder Angela Lee. Xiong’s only loss in the ONE cage took place when she lost 10 pounds in an effort to take Lee’s belt in the second fight of their trilogy. Having won four straight since that night at ONE “Century – Part 1,” she looks to challenge herself in a new way. Even though her belt will not be on the line, Xiong knows Jaroonsak, who owns a 35-17-2 muay thai record, could be one of her toughest challenges to date.

And perhaps one of the friendliest. Unlike Lee, Xiong considers “Wondergirl” more of a friend than a rival. However, she does not plan on letting that cool her competitive fire.

“I don’t think there is a lot of difference between friendly matches,” Xiong said, “but I’m afraid that I may have a soft heart. I feel like I’m a person who is very soft-hearted, so I’m afraid of that.”

Xiong’s corner will do its best to make sure her killer instinct remains intact. Since joining Evolve MMA in 2019, Xiong has taken her boxing to another level thanks to former World Boxing Association interim flyweight champion Drian Francisco. Like Xiong, Francisco was known for a high-octane, pressure forward style that resulted in 22 career knockouts for the man aptly nicknamed “Gintong Kamao (Golden Fist).” Every time Xiong steps in the ring with the former champion, she adds another tool to her bag.

“When I train with [Francisco], I learn a lot of technical skills and mental skills,” she said. “I think this will be an opportunity to show my technique in this event. It’s a really good thing for me to train there.”

Despite being 35 years of age, Xiong could arguably still be in the prime of her career, and she has no desire to slow down. After her fight with Jaroonsak, Xiong hopes to add another belt to her mantle and take another shot at the atomweight title.

“I’m so happy you brought that up because I’m very willing to go back to atomweight to compete for a championship fight,” Xiong said. “I really want to be [champion] in that class.”

The possibilities are wide open for “The Panda.” She has enjoyed an amazing run over her six years in One Championship, learning a great deal about herself throughout her battles.

Returning to the skill set that kickstarted her journey has caused Xiong to become reflective. If she could speak to her younger self, she would not provide advice on punching technique or defense. Instead, she thinks she has learned something far more important during her time in combat sports.

“If I was back at 18, I would tell myself to just love yourself,” Xiong said. “The most important thing is to love yourself and protect yourself. Always have a kind heart and a strong mind.”