“My biggest source of inspiration” - Allycia Hellen Rodrigues draws inspiration from her mother

ONE women’s atomweight Muay Thai world champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues is one feisty individual inside the Circle, a trait she shares with her doting mother.

The 24-year-old will figure in a world title unification bout against ONE women’s interim atomweight Muay Thai world champion Janet Todd at ONE on Prime Video 5: De Ridder vs Malykhin.

The Brazilian’s highly-anticipated comeback fight will broadcast live for free for North American Amazon Prime Video subscribers on December 2 (US Primetime) inside the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

It’s been 28 months since we last saw Allycia Hellen Rodrigues compete inside the Circle, as she took some time off following the birth of her firstborn son.

Apart from her new bundle of joy, the ‘mom-champ’ said her mother is one of the biggest driving forces behind her desire to resume her fighting career after giving birth.

Rodrigues shared this heartwarming story in an exclusive interview with ONE Championship:

“My biggest inspiration is not someone from the sport, but someone from my life. My mother is my greatest example of strength and determination. The most warrior and feisty person I know. So, my biggest source of inspiration couldn't be anyone else but her.”

Furthermore, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues added that her mom gave her full support when she decided to leave Fortaleza, Brazil to hone her craft full-time in Thailand.

That leap of faith paid dividends, as the Phuket Fight Club standout made a name for herself in the Muay Thai circuit.

Her big break came in 2020, when ONE brought her into the fold and pitted her against Stamp Fairtex for the ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship in her promotional debut.

After five rounds of striking mastery from both sides, Rodrigues emerged victorious and dethroned Stamp to become the new face of women’s atomweight Muay Thai.

For sure, Rodrigues will once again have her mother in her heart and her mind, when she defends her world title against Todd this coming Friday.

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Allycia Hellen Rodrigues works on her neck strength ahead of clash with Janet Todd

Given her vast experience in striking-only matches over the years, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues understands the importance of neck strength in combat sports. Having a strong neck allows fighters to absorb hits to the head area and also helps them prevent possible catastrophic injuries.

As such, Rodrigues recently shared a clip of her performing a rather unconventional exercise, which was shared by ONE Championship on Instagram. Several fans in the comments section, meanwhile, were amazed by Rodrigues’ sheer power.