‘My Story Began With Her’ – Allycia Hellen Rodrigues Opens Up About Unique Bond With Sister
As she prepares to return to battle and put her gold on the line at ONE Fight Night 29 on Prime Video, reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues is once again leaning on the constant support and love from her sister, Andressa.
On Friday, March 7, live in U.S. primetime, the Brazilian will defend her belt against dangerous Irish-English standout Marie McManamon in front of a packed house at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
According to Rodrigues, she wouldn’t be here – fighting the planet’s best strikers on the biggest stage for martial arts – if it weren’t for her sister.
The Brazilian striker spoke to onefc.com about the unique bond she and Andressa share, explaining that their connection is rooted in sports and athletics:
“My sister was the first to train Muay Thai. My story began with her. She took me along and I watched the training, until one day I decided to take a trial class. We both grew up in sports.”
With impressive victories over Muay Thai and kickboxing luminaries such as Stamp Fairtex and Janet “JT” Todd, Rodrigues has firmly established herself as a pound-for-pound powerhouse.
Much of her success, she said, is due to the unending support of her family. When Rodrigues relocated from Brazil to Thailand to train at the famed Phuket Fight Club, she was first joined by her mother.
Before long, her sister made the move to Asia, as well, allowing Rodrigues to spend her days with her lifelong “best friend”:
“My mother already lived with me here and now my sister. I still can’t believe it. We were always very close, we fought like any siblings would, but we always made peace. She is my best friend.”
Despite their occasional sibling quarrels, Rodrigues said that she and her sister share an unbreakable bond.
Whether they’re working out together in the gym or spending a lazy day at home, they are a unified front and family forever:
“We are very united. She was always more intense than me, but we always got along really well. We have always been a family, she much more so than me, because I’m a little more relaxed. But we have always been very much a family.”
How Rodrigues’ Sister Inspires Her
While Allycia Hellen Rodrigues is a globally recognized superstar who has reached the pinnacle of her sport, she gets inspiration and motivation from her sister.
Rodrigues is impressed by her sister’s work ethic and approach to life. And even though some might assume it would be the ONE superstar handing out advice to Andressa, it’s actually the other way around:
“She always gives me a lot of advice, especially about life. She also inspires me a lot because of all the strength and determination she has to succeed in life. She has always been a very hardworking girl. She tells me that I inspire her, but in reality she inspires me. She always teaches me to keep fighting and doing my best every day.”
