Allycia Hellen Rodrigues worked on her boxing for Janet Todd

At ONE Fight Night 8: Superlek vs. Williams, ONE atomweight Muay Thai world champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues made her return to the Circle.

After shocking the world by defeating Stamp Fairtex on her ONE debut in 2020 to become the world champion, Rodrigues announced that she would be taking a break from the competition to give birth to her first child.

Waiting for her return was Janet Todd, the atomweight kickboxing world champion who won the interim Muay Thai belt to set up a unification clash for Rodrigues’ return.

Fans were eagerly anticipating the Brazilian’s return after her performance against Stamp and this fight played out in similar fashion.

After her opponent controlled the opening two rounds, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues eventually found her feet in the contest, changing the momentum of the fight in the third round and winning the last three to defend her world championship.

In her post-event interview, the Brazilian reflected on her performance and the factors that played into it:

“It's similar (with Stamp), but I think I work more with my hands this time because I was training a lot of boxing styles. I promise next time, I will start the fight stronger. I was out for a long time but now I [am back]. I am going to be a better fighter.”

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Allycia Hellen Rodrigues says her corner was a huge factor in her victory

After such a long-time away from the Circle, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues produced a performance at ONE Fight Night 8 on March 24 that dusted off the cobwebs.

With three years away from competition, Rodrigues had a lot of questions to answer in her return.

Not only would she be facing an elite competitor in Janet Todd, fans still didn’t know whether her performance against Stamp Fairtex on her ONE debut is what they should expect from her each and every time.

After losing the first two rounds in a slow start to the fight from the defending champion, you would be forgiven for thinking that the Brazilian had bitten off more than she could chew by jumping right back in at the deep end.

Instead, Rodrigues rallied in the third round and made the right adjustments to change the course of the fight.

After having her hand-raised, she gave credit to her corner for keeping her focused throughout the fight. In her post-fight interview, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues said:

“I knew she was going to start strong and fast. I just kept calm, and I listened to my corner. Listening to my corner helped me get the victory.”