Fighter Feature: Janet Todd on ONE Championship, fight tips and more

In the world of Muay Thai and kickboxing, Janet Todd needs no introduction. The California-born champion took the world by storm last year when she claimed the ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Title from the formidable Stamp Fairtex. 

In this Fighter Feature, Janet shares some of her best training tips and what we can expect next in 2021.

What made you decide to return to Muay Thai after four years of pursuing an engineering career?

I never stopped training during those four years. I wasn't as consistent but I still very much loved it. I felt that I had to get my career going, so my focus was on that until I was in between projects. There was a little lull so I decided it might be fun to compete again.

Then after that, I realized I wasn't done competing and I wanted more. Since then, I've been learning how to juggle the two.

Tell us about your first professional Muay Thai fight.

To be honest, my first professional bout doesn't really stand out to me as much as my first time competing at IFMA Worlds where I was still an amateur.

I think I had my 10th fight during that tournament. I just remember watching all those high level amateur and professional fighters in the ring who really inspired me, which made me think of what was possible for me. I've read somewhere that if you can spot greatness, that greatness exists in you too, and I really believe that. 

I won my first bout in the tournament against Italy, and then lost against Australia. But it made me see a whole new level of competition, and how much more I want to grow to move beautifully and fluidly like some of the athletes I’d watched. Even though I didn't even make it onto the podium, I am so thankful for that experience as it opened my eyes and helped me realize where I wanted to go.

Do you still get nervous before each fight?

Yes, I do get nervous before a fight even now. I think I literally tell my coach that every time we start warming up. But he always reminds me that it's the body getting ready to do what we’ve trained for. It's the nervous system waking up, and getting your body to respond and fire. 

I also remind myself that I trained my butt off, and that I know that I did everything within my control to train for this fight. I tell myself I’ve seen everything before, so it's now time to trust my body, my instincts and the hours of training I've put in. It’s time to let go, let it rip and see what I'm made of.

Then, I take deep breaths, feeling the air go in and out of my lungs, and my body settling in. My breath is what always keeps me grounded. It keeps my mind from drifting and thinking about a million things out of my control, and brings the focus back to me and my body.

Fear and anxiety comes from thinking about the past, the future, the noise, and things out of your control. So my breath brings me back to the present moment, and brings my focus back to me, which is in my control.

How do you overcome a height disadvantage in a fight? 

It depends on the type of fighter you're facing.

Some tall fighters are used to opponents aggressively closing the distance on them by making big movements to come in and they will use their long weapons to time that. So for tall fighters like that, you will have to creep your way in and tease the distance (by striking in and getting out) to get them to commit to strike and be prepared to counter as soon as that happens.

How was your approach to the kickboxing title fight with Stamp (in ONE Championship) different from your first fight with her under Muay Thai rules?

Stamp is a great counter striker. She’s very explosive with her right hand. We knew we had to watch for that, so I practiced blocking, slipping and evading so much for the fight that I could train my eyes to see that coming.

We also added more footwork, which was something we started doing more after my first fight with her. Instead of standing directly in front of her the whole time where it was easier for her to counter back and land, I used my footwork to get myself away from that power hand, make her miss, and get back into striking range.

What’s your training like?

When preparing for an upcoming fight, the drilling we do during training is very focused on what we want to execute. Also, the intensity of the pad and bag work increases as we get closer to the fight, and we start sparring more to get our timing and placement right.

If there isn’t a fight coming up, we would replace the sparring with more drilling to learn different movement and timing. 

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I enjoy walking with my dog and my husband down to the beach. We used to skateboard at the beach before we got our dog last year. So now we have to figure out how we can take her with us.

 Maybe we’ll get a little wagon or something to put her in. 

Who is your biggest inspiration? 

Geez – do I only get one?! This sounds a bit corny, but it’s my coach. I haven't met someone who is as humble, respectful, and patient as he is. And he never stops learning. He's always finding ways to elevate our training, and watching other sports like boxing to see how we can blend certain aspects of other styles into our toolbox. 

I've read somewhere that if you can spot greatness, that greatness exists in you too, and I really believe that.

But I'm sure this question was geared more toward a fighter whom I'm inspired by – Giorgio Petrosyan. I was fortunate to watch him fight live, and it was a work of art. He had perfect awareness of his distance and perfect timing. He had complete control of his space, and orchestrated the fight around it.

Tell us about your favourite gear.

I love the InFightStyle 8oz lace-up gloves, and the Pro shin guards.

I haven't had shin pads that fit so perfectly around my shins before. They don't shift around as much as other brands I've had.

What’s next for you? 

I will be fighting Muay Thai next month. But I would like to pursue the Muay Thai World Championship belt next. 

What advice do you have for someone who wants to pursue professional Muay Thai? 

Gain ring experience through the amateur ranks first. Don't rush to turn pro. Do the tournaments, and see the various fighting styles from other parts of the country.

This forces you to learn to adapt and expand your style as well. 

If you could turn back time, is there anything you would change or redo? 

I'm the person that I am because of all the cumulative life experiences that I've had, so even if some of those experiences were painful, I wouldn't change it or redo it.