Janet Todd is happy for teammate Jackie Buntan securing a spot on ONE Championship’s highly anticipated U.S. debut.
‘JT’ will be back in action this Friday night at ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video. She’ll meet the returning Allycia Hellen Rodrigues in a co-main event clash to unify the ONE atomweight Muay Thai world championship. Before she steps into the circle at Singapore Indoor Stadium, Todd spoke with the promotion, sharing her thoughts on ONE’s North American debut on May 5 and Buntan’s role at the event.
“That's awesome that she gets to be the American representative on that card. I think she deserves it. She's been having really good fights.”
With 24 career victories, Jackie Buntan has earned wins over Nat ‘Wondergirl’ Jaroonsak, Ekaterina Vandaryeva, Daniela Lopez, and Amber Kitchen under the ONE Championship banner since her promotional debut in 2021. She’ll look to score her fifth win inside the Circle against Australian striker Diandra Martin.
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Fans will have to wait until May 5 to see Buntan vs. Martin at ONE Fight Night 10, but in just a matter of hours, Janet Todd will be back in action. ‘JT’ has been sitting atop the division after earning the ONE interim atomweight Muay Thai title in Allycia Hellen Rodrigues’ absence.
On Friday night, the Brazilian titleholder will return with an eye on reclaiming her undisputed throne and reminding Todd who rules atomweight Muay Thai.
Janet Todd on what she expects from Allycia Hellen Rodrigues at ONE Fight Night 8
In the time that Allycia Hellen Rodrigues was out of the game during the pregnancy and birth of her son, Janet Todd has flourished in the atomweight division, scoring wins over Alma Juniku, Anne Line Hogstad, and Lara Fernandez, capturing the ONE interim atomweight Muay Thai crown in the process. Officially a two-sport ONE world champion, ‘JT’ plans to take the next step on Friday night, turning her interim crown into undisputed gold.
However, Janet Todd knows that will be no easy task against one of the best Muay Thai practitioners in the sport. In an interview with Essentially Sports, ‘JT’ discussed what she expects from Allycia Hellen Rodrigues when the two warriors step into the circle under the co-main event spotlight on Friday night:
“She’s a very good kicker, and she’s very good in the clinch. I know that at one point in the fight, we’re going to end up in the clinch because she’s a clinch fighter. And I know that she’s got very good left kicks against punchers, so I’m going to be expecting that too.”
While Rodrigues does some of her best work in the clinch, Janet Todd shines when she is able to keep range and that will be a big part of her game plan at ONE Fight Night 8:
“I always like being in more of like a punching and kicking range. So I’d like to use my footwork to keep myself at that range because I think that’s where I excel.”
Their clash for the undisputed ONE atomweight Muay Thai world championship and the rest of ONE Fight Night 8 will be broadcast live and for free on Prime Video for all Amazon subscribers across North America.