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At ONE Fight Night 8 on March 24, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues made a successful return to the circle after three years away from competition.
After shocking the world in her ONE Championship debut by dethroning Stamp Fairtex to become the atomweight Muay Thai world champion, Rodrigues announced that she would be taking time away from competition to give birth to her first child.
In her absence, atomweight kickboxing world champion Janet Todd won the interim world title to set up a huge unification clash for Rodrigues’ return.
After losing the opening two rounds, the Brazilian produced a similar display to the one that saw her defeat Stamp Fairtex all those years ago, rallying later in the fight and changing its momentum.
In her post-fight interview after the event, Rodrigues gave credit to her corner for keeping her focused and composed in the fight, allowing her to turn the tide after a tough opening:
“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.”
With a fantastic display in the final three rounds, the Brazilian unified the division’s two world championships, reclaiming her status as the undisputed titleholder and putting the other contenders on notice.
ONE Fight Night 8 results: Allycia Hellen Rodrigues vs. Janet Todd
After such a long time away from competition, it’s no surprise that Allycia Hellen Rodrigues took a few rounds to really find her rhythm again.
At ONE Fight Night 8: Superlek vs. Williams, live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium, the Brazilian returned to the circle after three years away and reclaimed her status as the undisputed atomweight Muay Thai world champion.
After giving birth to her first child and being away for so long, it’s understandable that Rodrigues had a slow start to the fight. Interim titleholder Janet Todd used her kickboxing skills to take the opening two rounds, using her accurate punches and leg kicks to avoid engaging too much with the returning champion.
The momentum of the fight started to change in the third round, as Rodrigues started to use her own skillset to take away Todd’s best weapons. With far more clinch work, the Brazilian tied her opponent up and landed knees and elbows with devastating effects.
After opening up a nasty cut on her opponent, Rodrigues continued to push the pace of the fight by forcing Todd to clinch with her rather than having a technical kickboxing match.
With her aggression and change in approach, Rodrigues claimed all three of the final rounds. Successful on her return to the circle, she credited her newborn son as well as all the mothers watching for giving her the motivation she needed:
“Of course my son gives me a lot of motivation, but not just my son. I’m also doing this for the women who have the same situation as me, I’m here to show that you can bounce back, you can come back, and still be a champion.”
