Anissa Meksen (Arabic: أنيسة مكسن; born 29 April 1988) is a French-Algerian[3] professional kickboxer, Muay Thai fighter, Savateur, and boxer. She currently competes in ONE Championship. She was the ISKA World K1 Bantamweight champion,[4]WAKO World K1 Bantamweight champion,[5]Glory Super Bantamweight champion,[6] WPMF World Muay Thai Flyweight champion,[7] and former French, European, and World Savate champion.[8] As a professional boxer, she won the vacant France Female Super Bantamweight title.
Known for her versatile fighting style which is characterized by her sharp striking, footwork, and ring intelligence,[9] Meksen is regarded as one of the greatest kickboxers of her generation.[10][11][12] In 2014, she was named MUAYTHAITV's Fighter of the Year,[13] while Awakening Fighters awarded her their Fighter of the Year, Inspirational Fighter of the Year, and KO of the Year (vs. Adi Rotem).[14] In 2017, she was also Combat Press's Fighter of the Year,[15] and Glory's Newcomer of the Year.[16]
Martial arts career
Early career
In 2008 Meksen participated in the Nuit de Champions tournament. In the quarter-final bout, she defeated Maiva Hamadouche. In the semi-finals, she defeated Jacqueline Beroud. In the final bout of the tournament, she fought and won a unanimous decision against Cyrielle Girodias.
During World Muaythai Auspicious Celebration, Meksen fought Monoprangroj Kampetch for the S1 Savante Bantamweight title. She won a unanimous decision.[17]
After winning her next two fights, Meksen challenged Sor Tawanrung Kwanjai for the WPMF World Muay Thai title. Meksen lost by decision.[18]
Meksen won her next two fights, before once against contesting the WPMF World Muay Thai title, this time against Hongthong Liangbrasert. Meksen won the fight by unanimous decision.[19]
In 2014, she participated in the season five of Enfusion Reality: Victory of the Vixen.[20][21] Meksen won her first three fight and faced Iman Barlow in the finals. She won the fight with a stunning second round KO.[22]
Meksen then had a five fight winning streak, before contesting the WFC European Bantamweight Muay Thai title against Yolande Alonso. She won the fight by a high kick KO in the second round.[23]
She then entered the 2015 Kunlun K-1 Bantamweight Tournament. After beating Kailin Ren in the quarter-finals, and Xu Zhurong in the semi-finals, she faced E Meidie in the finals. She would lose the final bout by decision, after two extra rounds.[24]
After another five fight winning streak, she was scheduled to fight Therese Gunnarsson for the WAKO World K1 Bantamweight title. She would win a unanimous decision.[25]
Meksen would win her next five fights before fighting Chiara Vincis for the ISKA World Bantamweight title. Meksen won a unanimous decision.[26]
Glory Kickboxing
In 2017 she fought Funda Diken Alkayis in the Glory Super Bantamweight Conteder Fight. Meksen won by TKO in the third round.[27]
Her first title defense was scheduled to be against Amel Dehby. Meksen won the fight by a unanimous decision.[29]
During Glory 56: Denver she faced Jady Menezes in her second title defense. Meksen lost a highly controversial split decision, that would be dubbed the "Robbery of the Year" by Combat Press.[30] Meksen would regain the title in a rematch three months later by way of TKO.[31]
In the first title defense of her second reign, Meksen faced Tiffany van Soest.[32] Meksen won the fight by a split decision.[33] In her second title defense, she faced Sofia Olofsson. She won the fight by TKO, after the doctor stopped the fight after just two minutes.[34]
On August 23, 2020, it was reported that Meksen had signed with ONE Championship.[36]
ONE Championship
During ONE On TNT IV, Chatri Sityodtong announced that Meksen will make her promotional debut in a women's strawweight kickboxing-bout against Italian kickboxer and Nak Muay Featherweight Martine Michieletto, on May 28, 2021, at ONE Empower. The whole card will be female fighters only.[37] Meksen was later rescheduled to face fellow promotional newcomer Cristina Morales, on September 3, 2021.[38] She won the fight by a second-round knockout.[39]
Meksen faced Marie Ruumet in a Muay Thai bout at ONE 156 on April 22, 2022.[40] She won the fight by a dominant unanimous decision. Meksen called out the reigning ONE atomweight kickboxing champion Janet Todd in her post-fight interview, saying: "I want Janet Todd next for the title shot in kick-boxing".[41]
Meksen faced Dangkongfah Banchamek at ONE on Prime Video 2 on September 30, 2022.[42] At the weigh-ins, Dangkongfah Banchamek weighed in at 115.25 pounds, 0.25 lbs over the atomweight non-title fight limit. Dangkongfah was fined 20% of their purse, which went to their opponent Meksen. After the weigh-ins, ONE Championship posted a video to social media, showing Meksen returning the 20% back to Banchamek as a sign of respect for taking the fight.[43] Meksen won the fight by unanimous decision.[44]
During her in-ring interview with Mitch Chilson following her victory over Dangkongfah Banchamek, ONE Championship announced Meksen would face Stamp Fairtex in a Mixed Rules-bout at ONE on Prime Video 6 on January 14, 2023, at the Impact, Muang Thong Thani in Bangkok. However, Meksen failed to appear at the weigh-ins and the fight was scrapped, with Fairtex instead being matched up against Anna "Supergirl" Jaroonsak in a kickboxing bout.[45]
After Meksen failed to appear, Stamp Fairtex told South China Morning Post she deemed Meksen unprofessional for not showing up, with her camp going as far as to say that they saw Meksen fail to make weight by 3 kilograms.[46] They were quoted by the CEO of ONE Championship during his interview with the same publication. Meksen responded by reminding the fans that she did not appear due to a family issue and that she would be interested in fighting Fairtex for the Interim ONE Atomweight Kickboxing Championship at ONE on Prime Video 7, after being "shocked" to find out that there would be no decision in her exhibition Mixed Rules-bout, if the fight had no winner after the regulated time, which she would never agree to if she knew in advance. Meksen had recently expressed frustrations with the promotion after not getting a fight with Janet Todd and the Interim Kickboxing title would resolve this issue after waiting for 3 years, but after negotiations with her husband/trainer and the CEO of ONE Championship fell through, Meksen decided to leave the promotion and Bangkok. Meksen was also unhappy with CEO Chatri Sityodtong stating: “He was aware of the situation but preferred to announce that I was ‘unwell’ to clear his name and not take responsibility for my absence at the conference. I have been unhappy since I signed with them and I have cried alot about them. I love what I do, I am a real enthusiast and I have always given everything for my sport and my performance. I have been more than patient but when respect is not at the table we have to leave it.”[47]
On March 1, 2023, it was reported that Meksen had signed with ARES Fighting Championship, and was due to make her MMA debut at ARES FC 15 on May 11, 2023[48] against Jaciane Figueiredo. However the bout was later postponed due to Meksen's ongoing legal dispute with ONE Championship. On October 31, 2023, it was announced that Meksen would face Phetjee Jaa Or.Meekun for the interim ONE Women's Atomweight Kickboxing World Championship at ONE Friday Fights 46 on December 22, 2023.[49] She lost the close bout via unanimous decision.[50]
