The Inner Circle 19 Main Event Result: Allycia Hellen Rodrigues Retains Crown In Epic Five-Round War With Phetjeeja
Allycia Hellen Rodrigues survived the toughest test of her reign, edging “The Queen” Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom by split decision in a five-round ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title classic at The Inner Circle 19 on Friday, June 19, at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Years in the making, the clash between the two greatest female pound-for-pound strikers on the planet lived up to every ounce of its anticipation throughout this Asia primetime subscriber-only card, which was broadcast live at live.onefc.com.
The Brazilian had unified and defended the ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Title against every top contender in the division – but Phetjeeja, the reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion and a 210-win veteran, represented a threat like no other.
Both ONE World Champions came out cautious in the first, testing each other’s reactions with low kicks and push kicks. Neither exploded into full commitment, but the tension was palpable as the round wound down.
Phetjeeja took the initiative in the second, launching her right hand into the defending queen’s chin and forcing Rodrigues to grab hold inside the clinch. In a role reversal, it was the Thai challenger who outworked the Brazilian in close quarters. As the round progressed, the Team Mehdi Zatout product mixed up her attacks, stinging her opponent’s ribs with body punches to establish her range.
A clinch war broke out in the third. Rodrigues grabbed her challenger and drove short, stabbing knees into her stomach, but Phetjeeja fired back with elbows. The Brazilian agreed to the trade, and the pair threw elbow for elbow until one opened a cut on Rodrigues.
The Phuket Fight Club representative stepped into knees from the outside in the fourth, but the Thai megastar welted her waist with left and right hooks with the relentlessness of someone hammering a heavy bag. The fight tilted slightly in the Thai’s favor.
Rodrigues chased Phetjeeja with punches while the challenger countered with her own as the fifth round commenced. The Brazilian went back to knee attacks, but this time Phetjeeja refused to engage – backpedaling, waiting, and countering with body punches whenever an opening appeared.
After 15 minutes of back-and-forth action, the judges gave it to Rodrigues on a split decision. The Brazilian mom-champ became the first person to defeat Phetjeeja inside ONE Championship, extending her ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title reign to nearly six years. She improved to 36-7 and proved once again that she is the gold standard of the division.
