Vero Nika says she wants to continue the legacy of her hero Aung La N Sang in ONE Championship – and become the new face of Myanmar martial arts on the world stage.
The 29-year-old striker returns to the ring next month at ONE Fight Night 37, where she will face kickboxing legend Anissa Meksen at Lumpinee Stadium. It will mark Vero’s first appearance on ONE’s US primetime series on Prime Video, following two outings under the ONE Friday Fights banner this year.
‘I’m so excited,’ she told the Bangkok Post backstage during ONE Fight Night 36, where she came to support Aung La in his final fight. ‘If he doesn’t fight anymore, I want to be like him. One day I will try to be like him – a good fighter for Myanmar.’
The pair embraced at the fighter hotel on the morning of his emotional farewell win over Zebaztian Kadestam, as thousands of Burmese fans filled Lumpinee for one last glimpse of their national hero.
‘He’s so sad also,’ Nika said. ‘All Myanmar people, all the fans, me also – we want to see him again in Myanmar because everybody loves him. He respects everyone in Myanmar. I hope so.’
Aung La, 40, retired last weekend after a storied career that made him a ONE Championship two-division world champion and the country’s most beloved athlete. He later told the Bangkok Post he sees Vero as part of the next generation who will carry Myanmar’s banner into the future.
And Vero, who lives and trains in Pattaya at the Tiger Muay Thai gym, is determined to follow his example.
‘Before, we didn’t know how to come here,’ she said. ‘We didn’t dream about ONE Championship. We just knew fighting in Myanmar. After we saw Aung La fighting, then we had a big dream – to come fight outside.
‘Now we know ONE Championship, we know Muay Thai. So we are so happy. I want to say thank you for that.’
Vero signed with ONE in January, committing to compete in both Muay Thai and kickboxing across Friday Fights, Fight Nights, and numbered events.
After losing a thrilling split decision to ‘Miss Scarface’ Francisca Vera in February, she posted a TKO of Junior Fairtex in May, to mark herself out as one of the promotion’s most promising new prospects.
Her upcoming bout against Meksen, a multiple-time world champion with more than 100 career wins, will be her kickboxing debut. But the challenge doesn’t intimidate her.
‘She’s so good, and she has more experience than me,’ Vero said. ‘She fights kickboxing her whole life – me, kickboxing, I never fought before.
‘This is my first fight. But I’m not scared about this fight because I love it. I want to fight good people. I want to show what I can do.’
Vero, who smiled as she greeted fans in Burmese at Lumpinee, said she feels their support every time she steps into the ring.
‘They love me – I know that,’ she said. ‘So I have to keep going, train hard, more than everyone else. I think I can do it.’
And while she admits a gold statue like Aung La’s in Myanmar might be a long way off, she’s already daring to dream.
‘I hope so,’ she said with a laugh. ‘I’m trying.’