ONE Fight Night 35: Allycia Hellen Rodrigues Confident In Stella Hemetsberger’s World Title Destiny

When reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues looks at Stella Hemetsberger, she sees more than just a training partner. She sees a kindred spirit, a relentless warrior, and most importantly, Austria’s next ONE World Champion.

On Friday, September 5, Hemetsberger will face ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jackie Buntan in the main event of ONE Fight Night 35 on Prime Video. The victor will leave the storied halls of Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, with the vacant ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Title.

For Rodrigues, watching her Phuket Fight Club teammate earn this golden opportunity has been a source of immense pride. What began as a simple training partnership has blossomed into a deep friendship built on mutual respect and shared ambitions.

Rodrigues reflected on how their connection developed:

“We get along very well since the first time we met. We had been following each other for a while on Instagram, but when I came back to Thailand, she was here, and we ended up meeting.

“And since then, our friendship has been very good. Our connection is very good, and I am very confident in her work and in all her evolution as well.”

Hemetsberger has been spectacular since arriving in ONE Championship. Her perfect 3-0 record culminated with a devastating first-round knockout of Vanessa Romanowski that earned her a six-figure contract.

The 26-year-old now stands one victory away from joining the exclusive ranks of ONE World Champions, and for Rodrigues, there couldn’t be a more deserving candidate.

The Brazilian mom-champ said:

“Stella is a girl who works hard for her dreams. She’s a very technical girl, but also very aggressive due to her kickboxing style. I’m very happy [for her] to have this opportunity and to be able to show all her work.

“She is an incredible person. A person who is willing to help everyone. I have no words to describe Stella, because she is a very charismatic person. She is a person who wins over everyone around her.”

Rodrigues sees striking parallels between Hemetsberger’s journey and her own path. When the Brazilian challenged Stamp Fairtex in her promotional debut, many doubted her ability to dethrone the established ONE World Champion.

The similarities aren’t lost on Rodrigues, who believes her training partner possesses the same qualities.

She explained:

“She arrived, had three beautiful fights. And now she’s going to fight for the title because she deserves it, she’s prepared to have this fight. Now her time has come. It’s her turn to shine.

“It was the same thing that happened to me. A lot of people didn’t believe in my victory. But we went there, worked hard, and we conquered it. She works a lot, and I see where she wants to go. I see her disposition, her desire to be the champion.”

Rodrigues Confident That Hemetsberger Is Ready For Buntan’s Elite Challenge

While Allycia Hellen Rodrigues has complete faith in Stella Hemetsberger’s abilities, she’s well aware of the massive challenge awaiting her teammate.

Buntan brings an impressive resume to their World Title clash. The Filipino-American has compiled a stellar 7-1 record against elite competition, capped off with her superstar-making performance against Anissa “C18” Meksen at ONE 169 to capture the inaugural strawweight kickboxing crown.

Rodrigues understands the magnitude of the task facing Hemetsberger, but she’s confident her training partner has evolved into a complete striker:

“I know it won’t be an easy fight for her; she knows that. But she has evolved a lot, and she has a lot of potential to be a champion. In her last Muay Thai fight, she came showing why she’s [ready].

“That’s what everyone likes to see, and that’s what I like to see too. I even try to take a little of her more aggressive style. She doesn’t stop. If I see any quality in people, I like to take a little for myself too.”

The prospect of watching Hemetsberger achieve her ultimate dream fills Rodrigues with anticipation. Having experienced the euphoria of capturing ONE Championship gold herself, she knows exactly what it would mean for her friend and teammate.

The atomweight Muay Thai queen concluded:

“When I see Stella winning this belt, I will feel the same thing I felt when it was me the first time. [I will be] proud of myself, of the team, of all the work done, and to see that everything we give up for our work was worth it.

“So, I feel very proud of her for all the work, for her entire journey, for all the grit that she had. And for the new experience, being a champion in Muay Thai. So she knows everything she went through to get where she is.”

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