ONE Championship: Scotland’s Amy Pirnie returns after three years seeking early knockout in debut

Scottish ace Amy Pirnie has long been regarded as one of the best female strikers in the world and after three years away from competition she will bring her talents to ONE Championship this weekend.

Pirnie will make her promotional debut against surging Hong Kong knockout artist Yu Yau Pui at ONE Fight Night 24: Balart vs Brooks, which comes live from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, this Saturday, August 3, live on Sky Sports Action from 1am (BST).

The Glaswegian last competed in August 2021, when she extended her remarkable winning streak to 21 victories in a row. After that, a myriad of bout cancellations and injuries led to a lengthy hiatus.

But in early 2024, she received a call from ONE Championship, and that motivated her to lace up the gloves once again.

“I’m buzzing to come back on a stage like this. Everybody knows ONE Championship, even people who aren’t clued up on Muay Thai. So, I do feel like there is a lot of buzz about it, especially on social media,” the 31-year-old said.

Pirnie’s adversary, Yu, has been on a dominant run in the world’s largest martial arts organization.

The Hong Kong native owns a 28-2 career record. She is also riding an 11-fight winning streak and has won all six of her matches during her time in ONE Championship.

In fact, her performances have been so impressive, she earned a US$100,000 (£78,566) contract with the promotion last November.

Despite the striker’s overwhelming momentum, Pirnie – a three-time UK Muay Thai Fighter of the Year and WBC Muay Thai International Champion – sees a massive opportunity awaiting her.

Should she beat Yu this weekend, the Scot believes it will instantly put her amongst the best of the best in the organization and help her break into the ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Title picture.

“It’s exciting to fight someone who is doing so well in ONE,” Pirnie said. “She’s 6-0, and she’s walked through everybody, but if I beat her, that puts me in a very good starting position.”

While Yu has plenty of hype surrounding her, Pirnie has plenty of it herself.

Across her 21-fight winning streak, the Glaswegian has recorded nine knockouts. Even Yu has confessed to being a fan of the Scottish starlet, studying Pirnie’s bouts early in her own career.

Nonetheless, Pirnie wants to make a statement in her long-awaited return to competition this weekend. And she knows there isn’t a more impactful way to accomplish that than by derailing Yu’s hype train.

“A nice early stoppage in spectacular fashion would be awesome. To do that and come in with a big knockout to start. But realistically, I don’t see that happening. I think she’s quite tough, and she is aggressive,” Pirnie said.

“She has quite a good engine, and it is three rounds. So, I reckon that I will win the fight, but it will most likely go to a points decision. But anything can happen with these [4-ounce] gloves.”

Watch Amy Pirnie at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand live on Sky Sports Action at 1am on Saturday, August 3.

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