WATCH: Allycia Hellen Rodrigues shows mom-champ power in world title defense against Cristina Morales

There are few things that can excite combat sports fans more than seeing an electric world championship match and ONE Championship happily obliged last Friday, March 8.

The co-main event of the promotion’s International Women’s Day celebration saw ONE atomweight Muay Thai world champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues put her spot atop the mountain on the line against Cristina Morales.

With one of the most vocal fanbases cheering her on inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand and online, Rodrigues was ready to get her licks in against a very game challenger.

The Spanish veteran took the lead early on in the fight thanks to her aggression, slipping in big combos through Rodrigues’ guard.

However, the mom-champ was not one to back down from the challenge as her counter-striking had her playing the long game. She tagged Morales repeatedly with hard shots to the body, scoring big with her kicks to the body and elbows to the face.

After five rounds of intense fighting, the judges awarded Rodrigues the unanimous decision win, giving her the 33rd win of her illustrious career.

Relive the heart-stopping world championship clash between Rodrigues and Morales below:

What’s next for Allycia Hellen Rodrigues?

Having taken to heart the lessons she learned from her September 2023 defeat to ONE women’s strawweight Muay Thai world champion Smilla Sundell, Rodrigues eagerly called out ONE women’s atomweight MMA world champion Stamp Fairtex in the post-fight interview.

ONE Championship fans would know that Rodrigues was responsible for ending Stamp’s reign as the ONE atomweight Muay Thai world champion with a majority decision performance in August 2020.

Stamp recently made history by becoming the first-ever athlete in the promotion’s history to have won three world championships in three different sports, but a chance to avenge her loss to Rodrigues just might entice her to return to her Muay Thai roots.