"I want the best version of Allycia" - Janet Todd on Allycia Hellen Rodrigues title unification possibility

ONE atomweight kickboxing world champion, Janet Todd, spoke to SCMP Martial Arts ahead of her ONE 159 bout about a possible Muay Thai title unification matchup with the current champion, Allycia Rodrigues. She said:

"I want the best version of Allycia."

Allycia Rodrigues became the undisputed Muay Thai champion after dethroning Stamp Fairtex for the world title in 2020. The Brazilian powerhouse sent shockwaves across Asia after winning a five-round decision against the former Thai champion.

However, it's been two years since Rodrigues last fought in the circle. While she was away, she became a full-time mother and has since been on the road to recovery.

When Janet "JT" Todd was asked about the possibility of unifying her title belt against Rodrigues in the near future, she said:

"I can’t really speak for you know what’s going on with Allycia, I mean, giving birth, that’ll do a number on your body and so I understand that the recovery takes some time. So, I don't really know when the time frame will be. If I would be ending up defending my interim title or being able to fight for the title that she has. So, the hope is I’ll get to fight Allycia too, I think she’s a great opponent as well and I would like to have that opportunity.”

In continuation, 'JT' was also asked if she wouldn't mind defending her interim belt a few times before Rodrigues felt ready to return. She said:

“I mean you can’t force somebody to play if they're still recovering, and I want the best version of Allycia so you know I’ll be ready.”

Watch the full interview below:

Janet Todd heads towards an interim title bout after a long year of waiting. Hence, the 36 year-old champion is pumped to make her return to the circle against Spanish WBC Muay Thai World Champion Lara Fernandez on July 22, 2022.

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Janet Todd's rise to kickboxing stardom

Deeply rooted into Muay Thai, Janet Todd made her jump to kickboxing stardom after defeating the Thai prodigy Stamp Fairtex for the kickboxing world title in 2020.

Initially, the American standout began her ONE Championship journey as a Muay Thai fighter. After suffering her debut loss against Fairtex in Muay Thai, she looked towards kickboxing instead.

In the following months, Todd made her debut against Chin Long Wang. The American champion proved she was on a different level and dominated Wang with powerful strikes and relentless pressure. She depleted Wang's energy and finished her in round two with leg kicks.

After her successful debut, Janet looked unstoppable. In 2020, she challenged Fairtex again but this time under kickboxing rules. The Californian native emerged victorious and was crowned the new atomweight kickboxing champion via split-decision.

Janet Todd will have to defend her interim title a few times before she can fight for the main title. In the meantime, she has other fish to fry and rumour has it that Anissa Meksen might be her next challenger.