Stella Hemetsberger Backs Allycia Hellen Rodrigues To Retain World Title At The Inner Circle 19
Stella Hemetsberger has spent four years training beside Allycia Hellen Rodrigues at Phuket Fight Club. She has seen what the cameras do not, and it has left her with a single, unambiguous conclusion about what will happen on Friday.
The two-sport ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion believes her teammate and close friend will retain the ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Title when Rodrigues defends against ONE Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion “The Queen” Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom in the main event of The Inner Circle 19, streaming live for members from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, June 19.
Hemetsberger has been back in Austria during camp and was not present as Rodrigues prepared for the most significant defence of her reign. But absence from the gym has done nothing to dilute her certainty.
“I haven’t been able to be there because I was at home, but I know Allycia and how hard she works,” she said.
“I’m certain she has been training like she always does – 100 percent locked in, grinding every day, and doing everything in her power to be an even better [version of herself] from the time we last saw her in the ring.”
The Salzburg-born fighter has followed Rodrigues’ development since 2022, when she arrived at Phuket Fight Club to turn professional. Rodrigues was already a world titleholder then, living proof of the dream Hemetsberger had come to chase. Four years on, the Austrian holds two belts of her own and still regards her training partner as the benchmark in women’s striking.
She acknowledges that Phetjeeja brings genuine danger on Friday. The Thai titleholder enters undefeated in eight ONE Championship appearances across both striking disciplines, and the prospect of a firefight between two of the best female strikers on the planet is not lost on Hemetsberger. But that is precisely why she believes the result will be so convincing.
“Allycia will remain champion and get the win. It is, of course, not going to be an easy fight,” she said.
“But if there is one person who can neutralize Phetjeeja, it is Allycia. Let’s all remember who it is that Phetjeeja will be facing.”
The double-champion will be watching from Austria, cheering her amiga on every second of it.
“Amiga, I can’t wait to watch you put on a great performance and fight. You’ve put in all the hard work. Now it’s time for the fun part,” she said.
“Go and show them why you are the best in the world. We all will be cheering for you.”
READ MORE: Samet Agdeve Dedicates ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Title To His Mother
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