The third edition of the Dynamite NAKSOO Female Fight Tour returns to the Meat Market in Melbourne tomorrow night with a stacked ten fight card featuring the world-class main event between England’s Iman Barlow and South African-Australian Yolanda Schmidt.
Still the only all-female muay thai promotion in Australia (if not the world), NAKSOO Female Fight Tour have put together an impressive card featuring some of the best fighters from across Australia. With almost half the lineup coming from interstate and all fights taking place under full muay thai rules (knees and elbows permitted), muay thai fans are in for a real treat with some of the highest level female muay thai in Australia on display.
The bout between Barlow and Schmidt, pits arguably two of the best current bantamweight fighters in the world against each other in a five-round fight that could very well shape the rankings across the numerous sanctioning bodies.
Barlow, one of the top-ranked female fighters in the world, currently holds both the Muay Thai Grand Prix (MTGP) and Lion Fight Bantamweight and Super Bantamweight titles respectively. At just 24 years of age and with close to 100 fights under her belt, there are only a handful of fighters who have achieved as much as Barlow has in such a short period of time. Her climb up the rankings was capped off last November with a shot at the highly-coveted World Muay Thai Council (WMC) World title, in which she dropped a decision to reigning champion Sofia Olofsson of Sweden.
Standing across from her tomorrow night will be the equally tough and incredibly well-credentialed Schmidt, who returns to the NAKSOO Female Fight Tour after headlining the promotion’s main event in June last year. Schmidt brings with her an equally impressive set of results from 2017, a year in which she was able to take out the ‘Muay Thai Angels’ tournament in Thailand against a lineup of elite female fighters from across the globe. With countless Australian titles to her name, Schmidt has now reached the point in her career where she’ll be looking to take a big step forward in the strength of her opponents and continually challenge herself. Barlow represents that very challenge.
The night’s semi-main event features an interstate battle between the fast-rising Spring Sia, and the always formidable Jada Ketley who travels down from the Gold Coast looking for her second win of the year. Ketley, who trains out of the Boonchu gym under the watchful eye of both Wayne and Angie Parr, returns to the ring tomorrow night having last fought in February where she beat Nakia Wright via decision on Battle of the Bay 16. Sia, the local favourite, will be looking to get her first victory for 2018 after she lost to Somsurat Rangkla in March at Rebellion 18 in their WMC Junior Bantamweight Victorian title bout.
Also on the card is an exciting matchup between Northern Territory fighter Bec Rooney and Rozi Komlós from New South Wales. Rooney returns to Melbourne after taking out the 4-Woman eliminator on the last NAKSOO Female Fighter Tour card. Already having started the year with an impressive victory over Maddie Duiker at EPIC Muay Thai 18 in Perth last month, Rooney will be looking to put in a strong performance before she switches her focus to the International Muay Thai Federation Amateur (IFMA) World Championships in Cancun, Mexico, in May. Komlós will be looking to get back in the winner’s circle tomorrow night after she dropped a decision to Brooke Cooper last month on the Gold Coast at the Russian Roulette Fight Show.
Featuring on the undercard is a bout between Victoria’s Joanne La and Western Australia’s Whitney Tuna, while Victoria’s Yun Zia Sor.Nak Dee will have a challenge in front of her when she steps in against the impressive Natalie Hills from Queensland.
Fight Card:
- Yolanda Schmidt vs Iman Barlow (England)
- Spring Sia vs Jada Ketley
- Bec Rooney vs Rozi Komlós
- Joanne La vs Whitney Tuna
- Zia Seua Sor. Nak Dee vs Natalie Hills
- Shirley Tang vs Amanda Thomson
- Marina Veríssimo vs Rachelle Harrison
- Sally Zou vs Zhanna Parmy Vasenina
- Selena Small vs Eva Tong
- Megan Berberick vs Tiffany Lam
