Smilla Sundell expects ‘tough’ Allycia Hellen Rodrigues to have a go at her: “She won’t back down”

At ONE Fight Night 14, Smilla Sundell will look to defend her ONE strawweight Muay Thai world championship for the first time. Despite her impressive run of wins under the ONE Championship banner, her next fight could prove to be her toughest yet.

Originally, the champion was set to meet Jackie Buntan in a rematch of their inaugural world championship contest from last year. With Buntan putting together great performances after losing the fight, she presented some serious threats to the Swede.

Instead, with Buntan unavailable to fight on September 29, Sundell will welcome the divisional queen from the weight class below up to her playground.

In a champion versus champion matchup, the 18-year-old prodigy will face atomweight Muay Thai world champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues in a fight that is sure to deliver a striking clinic for fans at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

After taking time off to focus on raising her family, Rodrigues made an emphatic return to competition earlier this year, unifying the atomweight crown by defeating then-interim champion Janet Todd.

This time around, she will look to become a two-weight world champion and it is up to Sundell to defend her territory and send the challenger back down to atomweight.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Smilla Sundell spoke about the heart and toughness of her upcoming opponent and how she expects it to be difficult to put her away:

“I always hope for a knockout, that’s what I like. But she’s very strong and tough and I know she won’t back down either so we might even go five rounds. So, I don’t know about the finish, but we will see.”

Watch the full interview below:

ONE Fight Night 14 will air live and free in U.S. primetime for North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.