Jackie Buntan expects Janet Todd to ‘shut down’ Allycia Hellen Rodrigues

Jackie Buntan has the fullest faith that her close friend Janet Todd will come away with undisputed gold after ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video.

Todd, the ONE interim atomweight Muay Thai world champion, will face Allycia Hellen Rodrigues, the ONE atomweight Muay Thai world champion, in a unification bout this Friday on US primetime at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Before the match transpires, Buntan spoke with ONE Championship detailing how Todd will dismantle Rodrigues inside the circle.

Jackie Buntan, a former ONE women's strawweight Muay Thai world title contender, said:

“I think I expect Janet just to outsmart her and shut her down. And that doesn't mean like knock her out in the first round, blah, blah, blah. Not literally shut her down, whatever Allycia tries to do, Janet replies with 'no, that's not happening. I'm shutting it down.' And I really kind of just see that being the tone of the fight, whether it's all five rounds or if it's an early stoppage. I really just feel like Janet has all the tools, both mentally and physically, to be able to shut her game down.”

Janet Todd, who also owns the ONE atomweight kickboxing world title, is riding an insane wave of momentum with seven straight wins under her belt. During that span, ‘JT’ has scored wins over Thai megastar Stamp Fairtex, Ekaterina Vandaryeva, Anne Line Hogstad, and Lara Fernandez.

The American’s victory over Fernandez last July was the one that earned her the interim atomweight Muay Thai strap.

Rodrigues, meanwhile, will be making her return to the circle after securing the ONE atomweight Muay Thai world title from Stamp in August 2020. The Brazilian striker took a lengthy leave after giving birth to her son.

ONE Fight Night 8 will be broadcast live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.