Meng Bo fearless of “judo master” Ayaka Miura’s grappling: “This is MMA”

Meng Bo is confident that she can handle Ayaka Miura’s vaunted ground game.

Both women are slated to collide in a strawweight MMA bout at ONE Fight Night 16 on Prime Video. The event takes place on November 3 and airs live in U.S. primetime from the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Meng has built a reputation as a stand-up specialist, scoring a series of electrifying victories by way of knockout.

However, the Chinese star recognizes that to secure victory over a former ONE World Title challenger like Miura, she must be prepared for every aspect of the game.

“Everyone is aware of my strength in striking, but my previous weakness was in grappling. Now, I am constantly improving my grappling and wrestling skills, and I also keep strengthening my striking,” she said.

Miura is renowned for her exceptional grappling skills, providing her seven career wins via submission.

Many fighters have fallen victim to the Japanese woman’s expertise on the canvas. But Meng refuses to be intimidated.

“It’s true that my opponent is a judo master, but this is MMA. My wrestling coach has been helping me with this preparation and has ways to deal with my opponent,” she said.

Meng’s game plan is clear and bold. She intends to turn up the power in her striking, aiming to inflict significant damage on her opponent.

“I think Miura is weak in everything except handling punches well, so all I have to do is throw harder punches,” she said.

Meng Bo sets sights on 26 pounds of gold

For Meng Bo, the possibility of competing for a World Title has been a critical motivator leading up to this match.

She is well aware that defeating Ayaka Miura will not only bolster her status in the division, but also inch her closer to a shot at the ONE Women’s Strawweight MMA World Title held by Xiong Jing Nan.

“My goal is always the World Championship. If I win this fight, I want to have a title fight. I want to challenge Xiong Jing Nan not because she’s Xiong Jing Nan, but because Xiong Jing Nan is the champion,” she said.

“So I think I’m just here to take over the gold belt because we are all Chinese. And of course, whoever wins, the title belongs to China.”