‘No One Will Be Able To Blink’ – Allycia Hellen Rodrigues Ready For Historic Showdown With Phetjeeja
ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues has built her reign on memorable performances.
But the Brazilian’s fifth title defense against reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion “The Queen” Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom promises to be the most unforgettable yet.
One of the most anticipated super-fights in women’s striking history will headline ONE Fight Night 41 on Prime Video, which goes down live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, March 13.
This showdown has been several years in the making.
Long before they shared the global stage, Phetjeeja’s legend had already reached Rodrigues in Fortaleza, Brazil. She was captivated by a Thai phenom known as “The Girl Who Could Defeat Boys.”
When both athletes found their way to ONE Championship, that admiration deepened into a burning desire to test herself against the woman many Muay Thai pundits had considered the very best.
The Brazilian mom-champ told onefc.com:
“I’ve known Phetjeeja since before I came to live in Thailand, back when she used to fight boys. She was a girl whose style I liked a lot. I was already following her.
“I always knew that this opportunity would come. And now it has arrived, and it is one of the biggest [fights] of my career. I am very excited.”
While that admiration never faded, the two stars forged their own paths.
Soon after earning her six-figure contract at ONE Friday Fights in May 2023, Phetjeeja made a seamless transition to kickboxing.
The Thai would defeat the legendary Anissa Meksen for the ONE Interim Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing World Title in December 2023 and then beat Janet “JT” Todd to unify the gold three months later.
In the years to follow, she toppled other massive names to bring her career record to a staggering 210-6 and remain undefeated during her time in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
Rodrigues, meanwhile, remained the undisputed ruler in “the art of eight limbs.”
Like Phetjeeja, she defeated Todd in March 2023 to unify the ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship. Since then, the Brazilian has looked stronger with every single title defense, knocking out the likes of Marie McManamon and Johanna Persson.
But now, Rodrigues is in her prime and embraces the biggest test of her career. She finally gets to test her elite skills against a generational talent she has been following closely for several years.
The Phuket Fight Club representative said:
“When she called me out, it wasn’t a surprise to me because it’s not the first time she has challenged me. We are always going to be ready. I was just waiting for this to happen.
“This is the fight everyone has wanted to see for a long time. And for me, it is a pleasure and a source of personal pride to be facing the best. It’s not the first time I’m going to face a champion. I hope she is ready too, because it’s going to be a war.”
Rodrigues understands exactly what awaits her – a fighter with 210 career victories, a storied past, and the ambition to become the next two-sport ONE World Champion.
That background would intimidate most athletes, but the Brazilian has absolutely no fear.
The 27-year-old is confident in her abilities, and she seems to be getting stronger and stronger every single time she steps into the ring. Plus, she hasn’t lost any time she has competed during International Women’s Month, so momentum is also on her side.
She offered:
“I can guarantee that it will be one of the biggest female fights of the year. And because of our styles, it will also be a very intense fight. A fight where no one will be able to blink.”
Rodrigues Identifies Her Key Advantage Over Phetjeeja
Having followed Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom for years, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues knows precisely how “The Queen” operates.
Since thriving in kickboxing, the Thai superstar’s game has shifted toward her hands and away from Muay Thai’s full arsenal. Even when she returned to her roots at ONE Fight Night 38 last December, demolishing Martyna Dominczak in the first round, those patterns remained.
Unsurprisingly, Rodrigues thinks she has found exactly where the damage can be done:
“The advantages I believe I have over Phetjeeja are mainly the clinch game. It has always made a big difference in fights for me.
“She doesn’t really like to clinch in fights. I don’t know if it’s because she’s fighting in kickboxing. But even in Muay Thai, I’ve seen that she doesn’t like to clinch much. So, I believe that is a weak point of hers.”
Closing the distance, however, will be no simple task.
Phetjeeja’s elite hand speed, dazzling combinations, and sharp footwork will make every step forward earned rather than given.
Rodrigues knows she will be tested like never before in U.S. primetime on March 13. But the greater the challenge, the greater the prize. A victory here would define her legacy as one of the all-time greats of women’s striking.
The Brazilian said:
“I believe this fight is 50-50. It could go either way. It is a fight that is as dangerous for me as it is for her.
“I just want to be able to put up a good fight and put on a great show for the fans, which I have no doubt will come from both my side and hers. But I do believe that the vast majority of the rounds will be a brawl.”
