Smilla Sundell is poised to defend her throne for the first time on September 29, and she anticipates nothing less than an intense battle.

The ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion will confront a formidable challenger in atomweight Muay Thai queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium at ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs Ham. Despite the late change in opponent, Sundell feels prepared.

Smilla Sundell Expects A Tough Battle Against Allycia Hellen Rodrigues

Sundell’s former adversary, Jackie Buntan, was initially slated to vie for her World Title in a rematch, but the Filipina-American star withdrew due to family issues. The modification in her opponent has been embraced by the teenage striking sensation, as she is eager to return to action and test her skills against a new adversary. “I was excited [when I learned about the replacement] because I know Allycia is a very formidable fighter,” Sundell conveyed in an interview with ONE.

“I hold a great deal of respect for her for moving up in weight to challenge me. She’s also a pleasant person. I’ve encountered her before.” Rodrigues made a grand entrance into the world’s largest martial arts organization by seizing the gold from Sundell’s teammate, Stamp Fairtex, during her debut at ONE: A New Breed in August 2020.

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She briefly stepped away from competition to embark on her journey into motherhood but made a resounding return to unify the divisional throne by defeating interim queen Janet Todd at ONE Fight Night 8 this past March. The Brazilian striking sensation will ascend in weight as she strives to secure a two-division World Champion title.

Sundell is not taking Allycia Hellen lightly, addresses her as a genuine threat

Nonetheless, Sundell believes Rodrigues has demonstrated her worthiness as a genuine threat to her reign. Furthermore, she contends that competing at strawweight will amplify the prowess of the Phuket Fight Club representative.

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“I believe she performed exceptionally well [upon her return]. She exhibited significant strength in that contest. In my opinion, she has improved since her previous bout. Overall, she appeared more formidable in every aspect,” Sundell remarked. “Therefore, I think she will be even more formidable now that she can bulk up and enhance her strength.”