Black Belt Team 
On Friday, March 24, Janet Todd will finally get a chance to become the undisputed ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion at ONE Fight Night 8. The long-awaited match against Allycia Hellen Rodrigues is finally near for the interim queen. She’ll get her chance to erase all doubt live and free on Prime Video in U.S. primetime.
The unification bout was originally scheduled for December 2022. However, just days before the match, Todd tested positive for COVID-19. It was news that shocked the Southern California native.
“I remember bawling my eyes out. And I was just in shock. I didn’t believe it. Because the last time I had COVID, I had the body pains, fever, and I didn’t have any of that. It was just like a stuffy nose, which I thought were allergies because we were staying at a casino where there’s cigarette smoke that I’m not used to. I couldn’t believe it,” Todd told ONE Championship.
After a lengthy camp, Todd was distraught after hearing the news. But in the mold of a true champion, she was quick to put it behind her and refocus on the task at hand. The match was quickly rebooked for early 2023, and Todd was right back inside the confines of Boxing Works to improve and become the best version she can be on fight night.
“It just took me a little bit to kind of get over the fact that I flew 15 and a half hours and trained really hard to get to this point. I made so many sacrifices, and then I didn’t have anything. I couldn’t do anything. I was really devastated. It’s devastating for me,” said Todd.
“But you know, I can’t sit there and just feel sorry for myself. What’s done is done. I can’t go back in time. I don’t even know how I got COVID. Maybe it was in the airplane. Who knows? But there’s nothing I can do at that point. So all I had to do was look forward. And just keep training once things get better. Knowing that this fight was going to happen sometime. And now it’s here.”
Although Todd was adamant she was prepared for the December date, she believes she is even better than before. The American Muay Thai star feels the additional time has allowed her to become more dangerous by adding more weapons to her arsenal. If true, it will be a scary proposition for Rodrigues to overcome in her return.
“I think that time has helped me hone some skills that would work against Allycia. But it also allowed me to work more of the creative side of my brain, so that when I do get in a certain situation, I can flow from one movement to the next. So it allows me to move more freely, knowing I have more tools to work with,” said Todd.
It all comes to a head on March 24 inside Singapore Indoor Stadium. After a career chasing Muay Thai glory, the ONE Interim Muay Thai World Champion can solidify her status and become the unquestioned queen of the division. ONE Fight Night 8 could be where all her dreams come true.
“Oh man, it’s been four years in the making now. And the fact that I had to wait again for another three months. Yeah, it’s been something I’ve wanted for a really long time. So I’m really looking forward to it. And it’s a dream come true. It’s something that I have wanted for four years.”
ONE Fight Night 8 airs live on Prime Video at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Friday, March 24. The event is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.
Janet Todd vs. Lara Fernandez | ONE Championship Full Fight
Kickboxing queen Janet Todd is your newest champ-champ, edging out Spanish star Lara Fernandez to claim the ONE Interim Atomweight Muay Thai World Title!Foll…
Mixed martial arts, Mma, Muay thai, One championship
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