"I feel very proud of her" - Allycia Hellen Rodrigues believes it's Stella Hemetsberger's destiny to become world champ

Allycia Hellen Rodrigues is expressing unwavering support for her training partner Stella Hemetsberger as the Austrian challenger prepares for her historic world title opportunity at ONE Fight Night 35.

The reigning ONE women's atomweight Muay Thai world champion addressed her teammate's journey toward championship contention against strawweight kickboxing queen Jackie Buntan for the vacant ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai crown inside Bangkok's legendary Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, September 5.

While speaking with the ONE Championship, Rodrigues said:

"I feel very proud of her for all the work, for her entire journey, for all the grit that she had. And for the new experience, being a champion in Muay Thai. So she knows everything she went through to get where she is."

The 28-year-old sports science graduate from the University of Salzburg earned her title shot after compiling a perfect 3-0 record in the ONE Friday Fights series.

Stella Hemetsberger's third win, which came via a first-round knockout against Polish-Swedish dynamo Vanessa Romanowski, earned her a US$100,000 contract and a spot on the main roster.

Now, the RS-GYM and Phuket Fight Club star seeks to become Austria's first-ever ONE world champion against Buntan while diminishing her dreams of two-sport glory.

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Stella Hemetsberger sings praise for ONE Fight Night 35 opponent Jackie Buntan

Stella Hemetsberger refuses to bite more than she can chew, despite being potentially 15 minutes away from claiming her first world title when their headliner showdown kicks off at ONE Fight Night 35.

The Salzburg native is focused on the task at hand and fully respects Buntan's credentials as one of the best female strikers on the planet today.

During a separate interview with the promotion, the Austrian slugger said:

"Becoming a world champion in kickboxing isn't easy, and for her to get this chance at the Muay Thai belt - I know she'll come prepared."

North American fans can watch this epic world title fight live in U.S. primetime for free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.