ONE Fight Night 8: Allycia Hellen Rodrigues Battles Janet Todd In First World Title Defense

Add as a preferred source on Google

Singapore, March 14: When Allycia Hellen Rodrigues was only 21 years old, the Brazilian shocked the Muay Thai world. And in her ONE Championship return, she plans to do it again.

The ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion will enter her first contest in three years at ONE Fight Night 8 on Saturday, March 25, when she defends her crown against reigning ONE Atomweight Kickboxing and Interim Muay Thai World Champion Janet "JT" Todd.

August 2020 proved a pivotal moment in the life of the youthful champion. Rodrigues entered The Home of Martial Arts when she met promotional favorite Stamp Fairtex for the latter's ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title in Bangkok, Thailand.

Walking into enemy territory only to come out draped in gold after displaying a Muay Thai masterclass, the Brazilian announced her name on the main stage. But since that fateful night, Rodrigues' competition was been placed on hold as a new chapter in her life outside of fighting began.

The 24-year-old went from entering the ring to entering motherhood, giving birth to a boy. He was the grandest prize Rodrigues could ask for, but eventually her Muay Thai roots called her back.

She decided to glove up again and was originally set to battle Todd last December at ONE on Prime Video 5: De Ridder vs. Malykhin. Fortunes didn't favor the duo's commitments, though, as the American adversary contracted COVID-19, removing her from the bout and forcing the matchup to be rescheduled.

Finally, the two will square off in this culmination bout between two of the best scrappers in the atomweight world, with the highest of prizes up for grabs.

Following months of delays, Todd will be chomping at the bit to solidify her stature in ONE while dethroning the champion. However, Rodrigues will have plenty to say about that.

Returning after three years of inactivity is no easy task, but in her pledge to do so, Rodrigues plans to remind her fellow atomweights who she is and what she's about.

Source: Media Release