“If my heart says stay, I will stay” - Anissa Meksen admits the idea of retirement has crossed her mind

Having already claimed world titles in both Muay Thai and kickboxing, Anissa Meksen has and continues to consider hanging up her gloves for good.

This Friday night, Nov. 8, 'C18' will look to add 26 pounds of gold to her collection when she meets Jackie Buntan at ONE 169 in Bangkok for the ONE strawweight kickboxing world championship.

The bout will emanate from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium and be just one of three massive ONE world title fights headlining one of the biggest combat sports events of 2024.

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Speaking with the South China Morning Post, the 36-year-old French-Algerian star admitted that whether or not she'll choose to retire all comes down to how motivated she is to keep fighting at the highest possible level. Meksen said:

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"I don’t know. If my motivation stays the same, I will continue. But if it leaves, I will stop. I don’t want to fight just for the sake of fighting. If my heart says stay, I will stay."

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Anissa Meksen is confident she will leave ONE 169 with a ONE world title around her waist

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Having won titles in GLORY Kickboxing and under the ISKA, WBC, and WPMF banners, Anissa Meksen has little left to prove in a career that has seen her score more than 100 wins over the last 16 years.

Still, 'C18' can't help but like the sound of becoming a ONE world champion, and she's left no stone unturned while training for a showdown with one of the division's heaviest hitters. Speaking to the promotion, Meksen added:

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"For sure, I will win. I've trained hard now for one month and a half. I'm in the best shape, and I'm ready to fight. I have pushed a lot during every training session. It's my time."

Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 169: Malykhin vs. ‘Reug Reug’ live on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, Nov. 8 in U.S. primetime.

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