Alyse Anderson Plans To Mark Homecoming With Win For Her Father At ONE 168: Denver

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Fighters are never more vulnerable than when standing under the bright lights of the ring. After all, they don't want to falter in front of the millions watching. But ahead of her upcoming fight at ONE 168: Denver, Alyse Anderson is trying not to lose something even more significant - her father.

"Lil' Savage" meets Victoria Souza in an atomweight MMA showdown this Saturday, 7 September, inside Denver, Colorado's Ball Arena. While the contest is crucial for her career, Anderson is determined to secure a victory for her father who is fighting Stage 4 cancer.

"When my dad got diagnosed, I for sure thought I was gonna pull out of the fight, move home, and quit fighting in June. So, to go home for two weeks and have my dad tell me, 'I don't want you to give up, get back to Vegas, get back to work, and just get right back into it,' it gave me the push to keep going. I just want to do my best on September [7]," she said.

"I think that if I win this fight it would bring my dad so much joy and happiness because all he wants is to see me happy. With him being a martial artist, I just know he's so proud, and I want to honor him in every way."

The fight marks Anderson's first bout since losing to three-sport queen Stamp Fairtex in May 2023 at ONE Fight Night 10. Since then, the 29-year-old has had many personal battles of her own to overcome. But having the backing of ONE has provided her with confidence.

Now, after 15 months of adversity, Anderson feels her talents have exponentially improved. The adage insists that if you're going through hell, you may as well keep going. Anderson has adopted that mantra, and she vows to stop Souza on home soil this weekend.

"It meant a lot to see the promotion get behind me in the United States. It made me feel really good and positive. That's giving me that much more of a push to give my best and get the best result," Anderson said.

"I don't want to put an exact prediction on it. I just know that I'm going to come out on top because of the work that I've been putting in, but I'll probably end up getting a submission with how much grappling I've been working."