Tessa De Kom has already carved out a reputation for herself as one of the vital promising kickboxers on the planet. The Dutch fighter, who holds each the Enfusion Ladies’s Strawweight and RISE Ladies’s Flyweight titles, is getting ready for a showdown at RISE 184 in Tokyo on December 15, 2024, the place she is going to defend her Flyweight title in opposition to the harmful knockout striker Arina Kobayashi.
Tessa De Kom vs. Arina Kobayashi
For Tessa De Kom, this battle is of years of laborious work and dedication. “I believe that is my greatest battle to this point, so I’m actually trying ahead to it. And yeah, it’s a extremely good opponent—she’s very sturdy, aggressive. It’s going to be a really robust and laborious battle,” De Kom says. Nonetheless, regardless of the robust problem forward, she’s by no means felt extra assured in her skills. “I educated actually, actually laborious for it, however I’ve by no means felt so good a few battle earlier than. So, yeah, I believe I can be at my greatest,” she provides.
The preparations for this title protection have been intense. Tessa De Kom’s coaching camp might have been shorter than common, however she’s made each session rely. “It’s a brief preparation, however I believe, due to the preparation earlier than, it doesn’t matter. The perfect schedule is a coaching camp of six to eight weeks, I believe. However yeah, when there’s an opportunity like this, I can’t say no—I’ve to go.”
“A Woman Can Kick Your Ass”
In a sport dominated by males, Tessa De Kom explains her angle. “Effectively, don’t be scared that they’ll take a look at you otherwise or say, ‘Yeah, you’re a lady; you punch like a lady.’ Simply say, ‘Yeah, I punch like a lady, and a lady can kick your ass!’ Each woman can try this. If you wish to go to kickboxing, it’s best to actually do it. You’ll really feel nice about your self.”
And her confidence isn’t simply restricted to her phrases—she’s additionally put within the work to again them up. Her skilled document stands at a powerful 14-3, capturing each the Enfusion Ladies’s Strawweight and RISE Ladies’s Flyweight titles alongside the way in which. The truth is, when requested about her current success, Tessa De Kom notes, “I really feel actually good. However, there are at all times some factors that must be higher, so we have to work on that. However total, I really feel blissful that every little thing went so effectively. Yeah, I believe it was like a dream.”
However it’s not all concerning the battle. De Kom is balancing her demanding coaching schedule along with her schooling, as she’s at present in ending her last yr of finding out sports activities advertising and administration at Rotterdam College of Utilized Sciences. “Yeah, it’s lots, however each are essential. If I had to decide on proper now, I’d say the battle is extra essential to me. However I advised that to my trainer yesterday, and he wasn’t so blissful about it,” she admits with fun.
Sleeping with the Belt
The champion retains her RISE title shut, even when it means a little bit of discomfort. “At first, I had it simply subsequent to me in my mattress. Yeah, I slept with it. However then I spotted the fabric was very chilly, so once I’d flip round and really feel it at evening, I’d get up. That wasn’t the perfect place for it. So, I put it within the fitness center the place everybody can see it. I hope it motivates individuals. It additionally motivates me throughout coaching when it will get robust—I simply push tougher.”
Her subsequent battle can be in Japan, a spot that holds a particular place in De Kom’s coronary heart. “It was actually good. The individuals had been very good and helped me with every little thing. It’s a disgrace I couldn’t keep longer, however this time I’ll, so I can see extra of the nation and go to completely different cities.” The journey can be a reminder of how far she’s come since her early days in kickboxing. “Once I first heard about this chance, I felt like, ‘Huh? Did I hear that proper?’ However yeah, it was actually cool.”
As for the long run, De Kom is concentrated on defending her title and persevering with to show that she belongs on the prime of the kickboxing world. “My recreation plan is to win, after all. However I don’t wish to say an excessive amount of about it. I can be extra highly effective, and I received’t again down,” she says, her confidence unwavering.
When her hand is raised in victory at RISE 184, it will likely be simply one other chapter in a narrative that’s solely getting began for Tessa De Kom.