Allycia Hellen Rodrigues, the long-reigning queen of the ONE Atomweight Muay Thai division, celebrated the commencement of her fifth year as champion in emphatic fashion. Facing Swedish challenger Johanna Persson in the main event of ONE Fight Night 33 at Bangkok`s packed Lumpinee Stadium, Rodrigues secured a decisive knockout victory, extending her historic tenure atop the division.
Johanna Persson entered the high-stakes contest riding a wave of success, having compiled an impressive seven-fight winning streak capped by a WBC Muay Thai world title. She carried the momentum and, presumably, the unwavering belief that she was destined to dethrone the established champion.
However, as many challengers before her have discovered, navigating the formidable style and experience of Allycia Hellen Rodrigues is a different proposition entirely. The opening round unfolded primarily at range. Rodrigues skillfully utilized her reach, controlling the distance with sharp jabs, straight kicks, and the occasional roundhouse, dictating the terms of engagement. Persson, for her part, remained composed, working to close the distance and land her own combinations of punches and kicks to the legs and body. There were even brief moments where she successfully initiated the clinch, attempting to land knee strikes.
The intensity of the bout significantly escalated in the second round. The Swedish challenger pressed forward more aggressively, integrating powerful knees to the body and sharp elbows to the head, aiming to impose her will. Yet, Rodrigues demonstrated her defensive acumen, effectively blocking many of Persson`s attacks. More importantly, the champion began to shift levels masterfully, landing solid punches to the head and body, and willingly stepped into close quarters to unleash her own devastating knee strikes, effectively turning the tide of the round.
The dramatic conclusion arrived early in the third frame. Persson launched a final, spirited offensive push, throwing a flurry of elbows and punches. This surge, however, was short-lived. Rodrigues created a sliver of space and, approximately 30 seconds into the round, initiated the fight-ending sequence. She lunged forward with a sharp right hand to the body, immediately followed by a powerful, rising left hook to Persson`s jaw. The precision and force of the hook were undeniable, sending Persson collapsing to the canvas for the first knockdown.
Remarkably, despite the visible impact of the blow, Persson displayed immense grit, answering referee Olivier Coste`s count and indicating her desire to continue the fight. However, the reprieve was fleeting. Mere seconds later, Rodrigues systematically backed her challenger towards the ropes. Delivering another punishing right hand to the body, she then connected with *another* massive left hook. This second, equally devastating blow proved final, planting Persson on the canvas once more. Seeing the state of the challenger and the concussive effect of the shots, the referee wisely intervened, waving off the contest to award Rodrigues the knockout victory.
With this dominant performance, Rodrigues improved her professional record to 35 wins and 7 losses. Her effectiveness and fight-finishing ability were further recognized with a well-deserved $50,000 performance bonus. Her historic reign as the ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion continues, solidified by yet another emphatic defense.
The fight night also featured other notable events on the card, including a strategic Bantamweight Muay Thai contest where Vladimir Kuzmin`s superior movement and counter-striking earned him a unanimous decision victory over the tough Stefan Korodi, and an unfortunate No Contest between Shadow Singha Mawynn and Mohamed Younes Rabah in their Featherweight Muay Thai bout due to an accidental eye poke early in the action.
