Janet Todd holds the ONE Championship atomweight kickboxing title. She thinks the Muay Thai belt would be a good fit too and is looking to move closer to a second shot at it with a win this week.
Todd faces Anne Line Hogstad at ONE on TNT Part II and will be looking to work her way up the rakings. She sits at #2 while her Norwegian opponent is #3 ahead of the fight which will be broadcast on US television this Wednesday night (US time).
Todd lost to Stamp Fairtex in a Muay Thai title fight at ONE: ‘Call to Greatness’ but has won five matches in a row since then, beating the That in a bout that had her atomweight kickboxing belt at stake. Having come up short at the first time of asking the American thinks it would be a real achievement if she could finally win that strap,
“Getting the Muay Thai belt will mean a lot to me because I had that opportunity first. It was my first fight in ONE Championship, and it kind of slipped through my fingers.”‘
Road to redemption
Todd, who trains out of the Boxing Works Gym in California, sees the fight against Hogstad as her latest step on the road to redemption,
“It always feels so much better when you’re able to redeem yourself and be able to get something that you might not have been able to get a couple of years ago, but you made those jumps and improvements in your skills to be able to prove that you can improve. I’m not surprised that I have to fight a couple of times before I get another title shot because I was given an opportunity the first time, but I lost, so I need to claw my way back up,” she said.
Both fighters are coming off decision wins over Alma Juniku. Todd has the following thoughts on her Norwegian opponent,
“She’s technically sound, and she’s strong in the clinch. I think her biggest strength is probably her kicks. She’s very good at responding very quickly with all levels in her kicks. I think her weakness might be her guard. It keeps certain things open. I can go straight down the middle or go around the sides to create my openings where I need to and be able to use my hand combinations with my kicks.”
Top contender
Having fought six times for ONE Championship she knows opponents have plenty of footage to review in order to formulate a game plan. But Todd believes she is versatile enough to adapt to any challenge,
“I hope I get to show a little bit more of my wit, my adaptability. I want to be able to show that I’m creative enough to be able to come out on top and be able to adjust if I need to, or maybe I don’t need to, and just kind of do my thing.”
Reigning atomweight Muay Thai champion Allycia Rodrigues is pregnant, just like atomweight MMA champion Angela Lee. So Todd might have to wait a while for that title shot but the 35 year old knows what she needs to do this week,
“I want to prove that I am the top contender.”
