Allycia Hellen Rodrigues admits to feeling anxious ahead of circle return

Muay Thai queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues can’t deny the anxiety she feels in returning to the global stage after taking a break from competition to focus on motherhood.

Rodrigues is scheduled to put her belt on the line for the first time against reigning two-sport world champion Janet Todd on March 24 at ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video. Their unification world title bout was expected to take place months earlier. Unfortunately, Todd tested positive for COVID-19 at the eleventh hour.

With both women healthy and injury-free, everything seems to be going according to plan. As the countdown begins, the Brazilian champion is now experiencing a mixture of emotions ahead of her fight, some of which she can’t avoid.

Speaking to ONE Championship, Rodrigues elaborated:

“I certainly had more time to work on some things and improve others that I already felt comfortable doing. Anxiety is part of it, right? It's been a long time since my last fight, so the desire to fight is getting stronger. And I try to put that desire more and more into each training session.”

Allycia Hellen Rodrigues made headlines in August 2020 when she seized the ONE atomweight Muay Thai world title from the hands of Stamp Fairtex in her promotional debut. Before she could defend her belt, Rodrigues took an extended break from combat to focus on her first pregnancy.

Now that her son is a year old, Rodrigues has been able to return to the gym and continue where she left off. Juggling her time between being a full-time mom and a professional fighter, the Phuket Fight Club representative is excited to prove that with hard work and perseverance, anything is possible.

ONE Fight Night 8 will be broadcast live and for free on Friday, March 24, for American audiences with an Amazon Prime Video subscription.

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Fans react to Allycia Hellen Rodrigues’ son helping his mom with some core training

Allycia Hellen Rodrigues has a new coach helping her get some rock-solid abs for her upcoming fight. Since Rodrigues announced her return, she’s been putting in the work to get herself back into the best shape possible.

From the pictures and videos she posts on social media, Rodrigues has embraced an intense training regimen that includes weight lifting, kettlebell training, core conditioning, and of course, some sparring. In one of her routines, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues is seen strengthening her core with some crunches before her son decides to partake in the training.

Catch some of the fan reactions below:

“Coolest mom🙌 baby boy giving you more work.”

“😂 now helping to gain more endurance!”

“😂 👏 a little help hahahaha 🔥💪”