Stella Hemetsberger has already cemented her place in ONE Championship history, but the Austrian star has no plans on slowing down.
The reigning two-sport world champion returns to action this Friday, August 14, when she defends her ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Title against Natalia Diachkova in the main event of ONE Fight Night 46 at Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium.
For Stella Hemetsberger, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Not only will she put her Muay Thai crown on the line, but she’ll also look to preserve her perfect promotional record and extend her impressive winning streak.
The 27-year-old enters the bout with a flawless 5-0 record in ONE Championship and seven consecutive victories overall. Over the last year, Hemetsberger defeated Jackie Buntan in back-to-back fights to capture both the ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing and Muay Thai world titles, becoming just the third female two-sport world champion in ONE history alongside Stamp Fairtex and Janet Todd.
Despite her rapid rise to the top, Stella Hemetsberger insists her mindset remains unchanged.
“My mindset hasn’t changed. I’m always working hard, and my main goal is to become better, evolve, and get more skills as a fighter. Of course, I have two belts to defend, but the main goal is to give my best performance,” Hemetsberger said.“My motto will be ‘Always Hungry.’ I am very, very hungry to win the fight and defend my belt.”
That hunger has fueled another intense training camp at Phuket Fight Club as Hemetsberger prepares for one of the toughest challenges of her championship reign.
Diachkova earned her title shot after bouncing back from the only loss of her ONE Championship career. The Russian contender has won two straight fights since falling short in her first bid for Muay Thai gold in 2024. Her recent victories include a highlight-reel stoppage of Fahsai Aor Yutthachai, showcasing the knockout power that has made her one of the division’s most dangerous contenders.
While Stella Hemetsberger respects her opponent’s abilities, she remains confident in her own skill set.
“She has powerful hands. She has done well to earn her title shot. It’s also not my first time watching my opponents’ fights and seeing people getting knocked out. Her power is something that we have taken into consideration for our preparation,” Hemetsberger said.
“But I’m confident in my weapons. I’m confident in my cardio, I’m confident in my hands. I’m also confident in my technical game and my body kicks. So yeah, as a whole, I’m confident in everything I bring to the table.”
That confidence comes from experience.
Both of Hemetsberger’s title-winning performances against Buntan went the full five-round distance, forcing her to showcase her endurance, composure, and championship mentality. Those hard-fought victories proved she can thrive under pressure against elite competition.
Even more impressively, Stella Hemetsberger has never been knocked out during her professional career, a fact that further strengthens her belief heading into Friday’s showdown.
“Having won five rounds and never been knocked out once in any of my professional fights before gives me confidence. It shows my fighting heart and spirit,” Hemetsberger said.
“But that does not mean I take whatever awaits me lightly or with overconfidence. I would say I just have the right healthy amount of confidence as always.”
While many fans will be watching to see whether Hemetsberger can secure another highlight-reel finish, the champion remains focused on one thing above all else: retaining her title.
“It doesn’t matter whether the finish comes. If the knockout comes, it comes. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. But my prediction is, ‘And still, Stella Hemetsberger,’” she said.
“The goal of this fight is just to put on a good performance and come out on top. Whether it’ll be me outworking her over five rounds and showing my technical game, or finishing early, I’ll definitely be ready for everything.”
If Hemetsberger delivers another victory at ONE Fight Night 46, she will further solidify her status as one of the most dominant female fighters in combat sports today. For now, the two-sport champion remains true to the mentality that carried her to the top.
