Allycia Hellen Rodrigues certain her striking has improved tenfold in ‘the birth place of Muay Thai’: “It’s really intense”
ONE atomweight Muay Thai world champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues believes her striking has significantly improved since calling Thailand home for the last seven years.
On Friday, March 7, she'll have the chance to prove it when she puts her 26 pounds of gold on the line against UK standout Marie McManamon in the ONE Fight Night 29 main event.
The card airs live on Amazon Prime Video in both the U.S. and Canada and will emanate from the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
It will be Rodrigues' third time defending the atomweight Muay Thai title after notching a pair of impressive wins over Janet Todd and Cristina Morales.
Speaking with ONE ahead of her return to the ring, Rodrigues spoke about the benefits living and training in Thailand has had on her stand-up game:
“Look at my experience in Muay Thai. I feel very confident training and living here in Thailand. This is the birthplace of Muay Thai. I’ve been here for six, almost seven years. So, I trust the training a lot because it’s really intense. It’s a very heavy routine.”
Allycia Hellen Rodrigues feeling confident ahead of ONE Fight Night 29
Allycia Hellen Rodrigues goes for her 34th career win at ONE Fight Night 29, but getting it won't be an easy task as she takes on one of the United Kingdom's most highly-touted female Muay Thai prospects.
McManamon has made a name for herself on the UK scene over the years, capturing titles under the Victory League and Roar Fighting Championship banners. That has led her to martial arts' biggest global stage, where she'll look to capture her first world title.
Of course, Rodrigues will do everything possible to prevent that from happening:
"I’m very focused, and I’m well prepared. I’ve been training for a long time, and I’m very confident, even though she is a good fighter. But so am I, right? I’m number one."
ONE Fight Night 29 will air live on Amazon Prime Video in the United States and Canada in U.S. primetime on Friday, March 7.