Last May, Alyse Anderson was part of ONE Championship‘s big U.S. debut in Colorado. The result that night did not go her way, as Stamp Fairtex stopped her in the second round. A year later, “Lil’ Savage” is ready for an epic comeback story at ONE 168: Denver.
On Friday, September 6, Anderson will meet Victoria Souza inside the Ball Arena in downtown Denver. The atomweight collision will send the winner a step closer in the chase for Stamp’s title. Getting the call to be on the event was thrilling for the American to know she was still supported by the organization.
“It meant a lot to see the promotion get behind me in the United States. It made me feel really good and positive. That’s giving me that much more of a push to give my best and get the best result,” Anderson told ONE.
Souza is coming off one of the best performances of her career. At ONE 167, the Brazilian surprised everyone by choking out Itsuki Hirata. Anderson took note and is preparing for a tactical battle in Denver.
“I know she has some kickboxing fights, and she has good grappling. She’s the shorter, more explosive type of fighter. I think she has lots of strengths and kind of bulldozes in, and it’s just going to be a matter of keeping my range and definitely working the straight punches to keep her on the outside,” Anderson remarked.
Souza’s freshly debuted submission prowess does not deter Anderson. The Michigan native still plans to utilize her wrestling at ONE 168. The Xtreme Couture representative is expecting a fast-paced match that will go her way.
“I feel like it’s going to be pretty quick, especially because of the elevation. You just wanna get in and out. Watching her last fight, it was pretty quick, so I see that she doesn’t mind starting quickly as well. I don’t really see a feeling-out process. I don’t want to put an exact prediction on it. I just know that I’m going to come out on top because of the work that I’ve been putting in, but I’ll probably end up getting a submission with how much grappling I’ve been working,” the atomweight stated.
Redeeming herself in Colorado is enticing, but it is not Anderson’s key motivation for the match. She is fighting for family. While her father battles cancer, Anderson is hoping to share the drive for victory with him and, in turn, be his inspiration.
“When my dad got diagnosed, I for sure thought I was gonna pull out of the fight, move home, and quit fighting in June. So, to go home for two weeks and have my dad tell me, ‘I don’t want you to give up, get back to Vegas, get back to work, and just get right back into it,’ it gave me the push to keep going. I just want to do my best on September 6. Right now, he sees it as us both in our own fight. He thinks it’s cool, and he’s excited about it. So, if I can keep him motivated to keep fighting, then I’m gonna just keep on poking along as best as I can for him,” Anderson admitted.
Without her father’s expressed wishes for her to compete, Anderson may have called it a career. The father-daughter bond is strong, and “Lil’ Savage” will do anything to bring a smile to his face during this time. At ONE 168, she hopes to deliver a win back home to her biggest fan.
“When he does talk about it, he will start to cry because it’s just something for him to look forward to while we’re going through not the best situation. I think that if I win this fight it would bring my dad so much joy and happiness because all he wants is to see me happy. With him being a martial artist, I just know he’s so proud, and I want to honor him in every way,” Anderson said.
ONE 168: Denver airs live on Prime Video on Friday, September 6, from the Ball Arena. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The event is free for all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada.
