Allycia Hellen Rodrigues left no doubt about her divisional supremacy in the main event of ONE Fight Night 29 last Friday, March 7.
Airing live in U.S. primetime from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, the Brazilian vixen successfully defended her ONE atomweight Muay Thai world title with a commanding stoppage victory over debuting challenger Marie McManamon.
Watch the highlights below:
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Rodrigues showcased her technical prowess from the outset, keeping her Irish-English opponent on the defensive with crisp striking and relentless pressure.
By the third round, she had McManamon in serious trouble, unleashing a barrage of powerful combinations before scoring a knockdown with a left hook that sent her opponent crashing to the canvas.
The action only intensified in the fourth frame as Rodrigues repeatedly breached McManamon’s guard with punishing shots on the inside.
Though McManamon displayed remarkable grit, her face bore the brunt of Rodrigues’ onslaught. Ultimately, she was unable to answer the bell for the fifth round, giving Rodrigues the technical knockout victory via doctor’s stoppage.
That dominant showing caught the attention of ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, who rewarded Rodrigues with a $50,000 performance bonus.
Allycia Hellen Rodrigues eyes to challenge Phetjeeja for kickboxing gold
With seemingly little left to prove in her bread and butter of Muay Thai, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues is now considering a switch to another striking discipline to challenge Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom for the ONE atomweight kickboxing world championship.
Rodrigues made this declaration during the post-ONE Fight Night 29 interview:
"I know we're gonna fight some time, that fight is gonna happen, and I'm gonna be ready for that fight. We don't know when, but it's gonna happen."
However, she may have to wait as Phetjeeja is set to defend her title against Kana Morimoto at ONE 172 on March 23, set to happen inside Japan’s iconic Saitama Super Arena.
If Rodrigues fully commits to crossing over, the winner of that showdown could be her next big challenge.
ONE 172 will be available live worldwide via pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.