Allycia Hellen Rodrigues Plans MMA Transition After ONE Fight Night 32 Title Defense

Allycia Hellen Rodrigues Credits Husband With Help in Preparing for Switch to MMA

While her training is limited due to her Muay Thai commitments, she is still dedicating time to improve the areas she needs before accepting her first bout. At Phuket Fight Club, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues has the resources she needs to get better each down. Still, the 26-year-old maintains the majority of her training in the “art of eight limbs.”

“My husband, Jose Neto, helps me a lot with my training, but there’s also Leonardo Souza, who is the jiu-jitsu teacher at Phuket Fight Club. But there are other teachers and training partners, and it’s always great to train with all of them because they all help me a lot. I only train MMA in the morning. In the afternoon, I train Muay Thai,” the Brazilian stated.

Allycia Hellen Rodrigues Targeting 2026 for MMA Debut

Rodrigues was open in admitting that her decision to tackle Brazilian jiu-jitsu was not rooted in a deep love for the game. The decision was purely based on a want to try her hand at MMA. While there is no official timetable set, Rodrigues is hopeful that she can be ready for a 2026 match.

“I decided to train jiu-jitsu because I intend to fight MMA. If everything goes well, I intend to debut in MMA next year. Let’s see how I evolve and how things unfold along the way,” the atomweight Muay Thai queen said.

Training in a different sport is very taxing as it requires a different set of strengths. Rodrigues detailed how she is adapting to the rigors of jiu-jitsu. As she increases her regimen, her body becomes more attuned to what will be needed to compete professionally in MMA.

“It’s very different. Jiu-jitsu, since I don’t have much experience, requires me to use a lot of strength, and that really wears me out. In Muay Thai, my body is already adapted to the training. So I think that’s the main difference today, and it’s what makes jiu-jitsu training so difficult and challenging for me,” Rodrigues remarked.

Allycia Hellen Rodrigues to Return to MMA Training After ONE Fight Night 32

As ONE Fight Night 32 nears, the training has taken a brief hiatus. Allycia Hellen Rodrigues is planning to put more emphasis on her transition after her match with Cohen on June 6. Still, the primary goal must be to defend her gold and remain atop the Muay Thai world.

“I’m still a beginner in jiu-jitsu. But I hope to be able to focus more after this Muay Thai fight, and if I have the opportunity, I would like to compete and gain experience. I don’t know much about the events, but I hope to compete soon,” Rodrigues said.

ONE Fight Night 32 airs live on Prime Video on Friday, June 6. The action begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The event is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.