The ONE atomweight Muay Thai world queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues returned to the Circle at ONE Fight Night 8: Superlek vs. Williams.
Rodrigues shocked the world in 2020 when she defeated Stamp Fairtex in her ONE debut to win the title, and she later declared that she would be taking a hiatus from the sport to give birth to her first child.
Janet Todd, the interim Muay Thai queen in the atomweight division who defeated Rodrigues to set up a rematch, was waiting for her return.
After the Brazilian’s performance against Stamp, fans were eagerly awaiting her return, and this fight lived up to expectations.
Allycia Hellen Rodrigues eventually found her footing in the fight after her opponent dominated the first two rounds, shifting the fight’s momentum in the third round, and winning the final three to retain her world title.
The Brazilian spoke about her performance and the variables that affected it in her post- fight interview:
“It’s similar (with Stamp), but I think I work more with my hands this time because I was training a lot of boxing styles. I promise next time, I will start the fight stronger. I was out for a long time but now I [am back]. I am going to be a better fighter.”
Allycia Hellen Rodrigues delivered a performance at ONE Fight Night 8 on March 24 that cleared the cobwebs after being away from the Circle for such a lengthy period of time.
Rodrigues had a lot of issues to address after taking a break from competition for three years. Fans were unsure of whether her performance against Stamp Fairtex on her ONE debut was representative of what they could anticipate from her on a regular basis, and she would be competing against Janet Todd, an elite fighter.
You could be excused for thinking that the Brazilian had taken on too much when she immediately returned to the action after dropping the first two rounds of the fight against the champion in a slow start.
Instead, Rodrigues came back in the third round and changed the fight’s direction by making the appropriate adjustments.
When her hand was raised, she expressed gratitude to her corner for helping her stay focused throughout the contest. Allycia Hellen Rodrigues stated the following in a post-fight interview:
“I knew she was going to start strong and fast. I just kept calm, and I listened to my corner. Listening to my corner helped me get the victory.”
Allycia Hellen Rodrigues responds to challenge rom Stamp Fairtex.
When Rodrigues made her debut in 2020, competing under the ONE banner, Stamp Fairtex lost her Muay Thai world title to the Brazilian.
Given how long the champion has been absent, it is obvious that Stamp has been watching from the sidelines for her chance to exact vengeance. She spoke up about Rodrigues’ return as soon as the outcome of the battle was known.
Allycia Hellen Rodrigues directly addressed Stamp’s call out in her post-event interview:
“Stamp called me out. I’m going to be there. Just tell us the day and the time.”
Since Rodrigues has already defeated two of the best competitors in the class, it is definitely understandable that she currently has a high level of confidence in maintaining her position at the top.
