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Allycia Hellen Rodrigues is set to travel from Phuket to Bangkok for the opportunity of a lifetime.
This Friday, 28 August, she will challenge ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Stamp Fairtex at ONE: A NEW BREED in Thailand’s capital.
Although it’s only a two-hour flight from the southern island to the central metropolis, the Brazilian's journey has been five years in the making.
For the 22-year-old, it all started in 2014 when she followed her sister into a Muay Thai gym. After three months of training, Rodrigues’ coach asked if she wanted to compete.
“I said yes. I wanted to test myself and know what it was like to compete,” Rodrigues recalled. “I ended up fighting, and since then, I haven't wanted to stop fighting. I just wanted to train to be able to fight again.”
Following her debut in “the art of eight limbs,” Rodrigues became addicted to competition. She stuck with the sport and wound up becoming a top-ranked fighter in Brazil, where she captured six titles.
By 2018, however, she had become frustrated by her inability to find consistent bouts. So, she decided to move to Muay Thai’s motherland.
“In Brazil, I was fighting only once a year and was getting out of action,” Rodrigues said. “I wanted to build my story. I wanted to grow up in the fight world, so I decided to come to Thailand to gain more experience, fight against the best fighters, and build my story.”
At Phuket Fight Club, she did just that, becoming an Ayutthaya Miracle Champion while building a record of 30-5.
More recently, she caught the attention of ONE's matchmakers, who found her to be a fitting opponent for Stamp. Because of that, Rodrigues will get the chance to write the next chapter of her story – and she’s hoping it will have a happy ending.
“I’ve watched some of Stamp’s fights in ONE, and I know she’s an aggressive and strong fighter. She likes to kick a lot and punch, and when she gets in the clinch, she likes to throw her knee,” the Brazilian said. “I have to protect myself well because it will be a fight with small gloves. I need to block her kicks, I can’t let her impose her game plan, and I need to make her uncomfortable in the fight.
“I know it won’t be an easy fight,” Rodrigues added. “Stamp is a great fighter, and she has defended her belt several times. But I am very confident. I’m very prepared for this fight. I’m going to follow my game plan and put pressure on her, and I’m sure I’ll get this belt.”
Watch the ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship fight at ONE: A NEW BREED this Friday, 28 August, on Hotstar, Star Sports Select, or the ONE Super App at 6 p.m. India Standard Time (IST).
