Allycia Hellen Rodrigues and Janet “JT” Todd will square off in a ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship unification match at ONE on Prime Video 5, set for December 2 in Manila, Philippines.
The Brazilian divisional queen’s return was announced during the live broadcast of ONE on Prime Video 2 this past weekend, which was headlined by the explosive trilogy bout between Xiong Jing Nan and Angela Lee.
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The battle between Rodrigues and interim World Champion Todd should produce similar fireworks, with both women eager to stamp their dominance on the 115lbs Muay Thai division.
The lead-up to the Champion vs. Champion bout
Rodrigues got her tenure in ONE off to a flying start when she usurped fan favorite Stamp Fairtex from the Atomweight Muay Thai throne at ONE: A NEW BREED in August 2020.
The Brazilian battled past the Thai’s tricky offense and relied on her calculated attack formation and solid clinch game to score a debut win and the gold.
Rodrigues hasn’t appeared in the Circle since then, as she took time away from her career to give birth and raise her son, Josue.
But the Phuket Fight Club athlete hasn’t taken her responsibility as a World Champion lightly during her time away. Even during pregnancy, the 24-year-old continued to sharpen her weapons back home in Brazil.
Meanwhile, her future opponent Todd was gaining momentum in the Atomweight Muay Thai division after claiming the ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Title in 2020.
She earned two wins to score a shot at the interim gold, and when she faced Spain’s Lara Fernandez in the World Title tussle this past July, the American took full advantage.
“JT” outpointed Fernandez in every department up to the final bell and easily convinced the judges to hand her the unanimous decision win.
ONE Championship: What to expect from the ONE Atomweight title unification bout
This unification bout will be an important one for the California native, as she wants to become only the second female star – after Stamp – to claim belts in two different disciplines.
Rodrigues will endeavor to make Todd’s route to two-sport glory as difficult as possible, however.
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The Fortaleza native has an impressive fight IQ and can spring into attack at a moment’s notice. Rodrigues manages her distance well and has her right kick ready to connect whenever an opportunity presents itself.
Their battle could go down as one of the all-time striking classics, so be sure to tune in to their ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title unification bout this December.