Seven years ago, Johanna Persson had never thrown a punch or kicked a pad. Now she’s fighting for world championship gold.

The Swedish striker challenges reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues at ONE Fight Night 33 on Friday, July 11, inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. For Persson, the title shot represents the culmination of an unlikely journey.

Her path to martial arts wasn’t traditional. Persson grew up in the coastal town of Gavle, Sweden, where soccer dominated her athletic pursuits during her teenage years.

But her aggressive nature on the field created problems. Red cards became a regular occurrence, suggesting she needed a different outlet for her competitive fire.

The discovery of Muay Thai came by chance during her university years. Persson spotted a friend hitting pads during a class and decided to try it herself.

What started as simple exercise quickly became an obsession. Within three months, her coach asked if she wanted to compete, and everything changed.

“I grew up in a simple household where my parents worked hard and made sure our family maintained a good bond every time. We ate together, went out together, and did a lot of other things such as holidays and vacations together,” she said.

“I was playing soccer when I was young, when I was 15 or 16. I was pretty aggressive when I played soccer. I had a lot of red cards due to a lot of fouls.

“I started training because I needed something to do and just for some exercise. And then, when I was three months in, my coach asked me if I wanted to fight. After that, my training had more of a purpose, and then I was hooked.”