ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues cemented her dominance with an unforgettable performance.
But the Brazilian’s fifth defense of her ONE Women’s Atomweight Taekwondo World Championship against the “Queen” Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom will be the most memorable one so far.
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One of the most anticipated superfights in women’s boxing history will headline ONE Fight Night 41 on Prime Video, which will air live in prime time in the United States on Friday, March 13 from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Arena.
This showdown has been years in the making.
Long before they hit the global stage, the legend of Figija reached Rodriguez in Fortaleza, Brazil. She was smitten by a Thai prodigy who was described as “the girl who could beat the boys.”
As both athletes secured ONE Championship titles, this admiration deepened into a burning desire to compete against the woman considered by many Muay Thai experts to be the best.
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The Brazilian mommy champion told onefc.com:
“I knew Phetjeeja before I came to Thailand, when she used to fight with boys. She is a girl whose style I really like. I am already following her.
“I always knew this opportunity would come. Now it’s here and it’s one of the biggest opportunities [fights] my career. I’m very excited. “
While that admiration never faded, the two stars forged their own paths.
Phetjeeja made a smooth transition to kickboxing in May 2023, shortly after earning a six-figure contract with ONE Friday Fights.
The Thai defeated the legendary Anissa Meksen to capture the ONE interim women’s atomweight kickboxing world title in December 2023, and defeated Janet “JT” Todd for the gold three months later.
Over the next few years, she defeated other superstars, building her professional record to an astonishing 210-6 and remaining undefeated in the largest martial arts organization in the world.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, remains the undisputed ruler of the “art of eight limbs.”
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Like Phetjeeja, she defeated Todd in March 2023 to unify the ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship. Since then, the Brazilian has looked stronger in each title defense, defeating the likes of Mary McManamon and Johanna Persson.
But now, Rodriguez is at his peak and facing the biggest test of his career. She finally gets to test her elite skills against a generation of talent she’s watched closely for years.
A representative from Phuket Fight Club said:
“I wasn’t surprised when she called me out because it wasn’t the first time she challenged me. We always come prepared. I was just waiting for this to happen.
“This is the fight that everyone has wanted to see for a long time. For me, facing the best is a source of pleasure and personal pride. This is not the first time I have faced a champion. I hope she is ready for it, too, because it is going to be a war.”
Rodriguez knew exactly what awaited her – a boxer with 210 career wins, a storied past and the ambition to become the next two-sport ONE World Champion.
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It’s a background that would terrify most athletes, but Brazilians have absolutely no fear.
The 27-year-old is confident in her abilities and seems to be getting stronger every time she steps into the ring. Plus, she didn’t lose any playing time during International Women’s Month, so momentum is on her side.
She proposed:
“I can guarantee that this will be one of the biggest women’s boxing fights of the year. And because of our style, it’s going to be a very intense fight as well. A fight that no one will blink an eye at.”
Rodrigues points out her main advantage over Phetjeeja
Allycia Hellen Rodrigues has followed Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom for many years and knows very well how the “Queen” operates.
Since flourishing in kickboxing, the Thai superstar’s game has shifted away from the full arsenal of Muay Thai and towards using her hands. Even when she returned to her roots at ONE Fight Night 38 last December, knocking out Martyna Dominczak in the first round, those patterns remained.
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Not surprisingly, Rodriguez thinks she’s found the exact location where the damage could have been done:
“I believe my advantage over Phetjeeja is mainly in the bite game. It always has a big impact on my fights.
“She doesn’t really like grappling. I don’t know if it’s because she does kickboxing. But even in Muay Thai, I find she doesn’t like grappling very much. So, I think that’s her weakness.”
Closing the gap, however, is not easy.
Phetjeeja’s elite hand speed, dazzling combinations and sharp footwork will make every step forward worth more than a giveaway.
Rodriguez knows she will be tested like never before on March 13 in U.S. prime time. But the greater the challenge, the greater the reward. A win here would make her one of the greatest female strikers in history.
The Brazilian said:
“I believe this fight is 50-50. It could happen either way. This fight is just as dangerous for me as it is for her.
“I just hope to have a good fight and put on a good show for the fans, and I have no doubt that it’s going to come from both sides of me and her. But I do believe that the vast majority of the rounds are going to be a brawl.”
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