It’s world champion vs. world champion in the “ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs. Ham” on Prime Video co-main event, and the smallest of details could be the difference between victory and defeat for both competitors.
ONE women’s strawweight muay Thai world champion Smilla Sundell will put her world title on the line at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, September 29, when atomweight muay Thai queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues steps up in weight in search of two-division glory.
Before the pair lock horns, here is what each fighter will bring to the table to find the crucial win at ONE Fight Night 14.
Sundell’s relentless forward pressure
Sundell’s aggression will allow her to put her size to use against Rodrigues.
“The Hurricane” will be campaigning at her natural weight, while Rodrigues will be moving out her comfort zone, so fans should expect her to utilize it, along with her height and reach advantages, when stepping towards her Brazilian challenger.
Sundell has marched forward relentlessly in all three outings in ONE so far, and she has bludgeoned her opposite numbers with heavy punches – as was most evident in her promotional debut against Diandra Martin in February 2022.
If the teen sensation can set the pace on Friday night, she will be able to impose her size and wear Rodrigues down.
Rodrigues’ kicking game
Rodrigues has a well-drilled kicking game, and it will be key if she wants to establish distance against Sundell.
In her ONE women’s atomweight muay Thai world title defense against Janet Todd at ONE Fight Night 8, she laid the groundwork early with a sharp teep and long counter kicks that kept the American at bay.
If she can use her legs again to keep Sundell back, Rodrigues can dictate the pace of the fight and stifle her foe’s forward movement.
From there, she can choose when to enter with punches.
Sundell’s step-up knees
The defending world champion is an expert at mixing gut-piercing knees into her punch combinations.
The Fairtex Training Centre representative’s step-up knees were a feature in her fights against Jackie Buntan and Milana Bjelogrlic, and they ensure that she is no one-trick pony at close range.
As the shorter fighter, Rodrigues will likely look to cross into punching range as the fight wears on. However, one of Sundell’s well-placed knees could await her when she does.
Rodrigues’ head movement
Rodrigues has shown that she can use subtle head movements to confuse her opponents miss while she sets up counters.
The 25-year-old was able to frustrate Todd by dipping and landing heavy hooks before deftly leaning out of her opponent’s range.
That head movement, coupled with feints, will be key for Rodrigues against Sundell, as she’ll need to freeze the advancing Swede if she wants to land shots of her own.
If she can keep her guessing, the atomweight Muay Thai queen can cross distance at her own discretion to connect with blows at close range.
