Denis Puric says beating Rodtang should erase all doubts about his contender status: “I deserve the title shot”

Denis Puric believes a win over 'The Iron Man' will alleviate any doubts that he is the next man in line for a shot at Rodtang Jitmuangnon's ONE world title.

After delivering a stellar performance against Jacob Smith at ONE Fight Night 21 in April, 'The Bosnian Menace' will make a relatively quick turnaround when he squares off with Rodtang in a massive flyweight kickboxing bout at ONE 167 on Friday, June 7.

If Puric comes out on top, he is confident that an opportunity to take Rodtang's ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title will be next.

“After I beat him, I do think that I do deserve [a title shot]," Puric told ONE Championship during a recent interview. "And I think I deserve the title shot at kickboxing as well, after that.”

With 41 wins to his credit, Denis Puric has earned victories over a slew of notable names, including Tagir Khalilov, Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat, and the aforementioned Jacob Smith. Those victories have slid him into the No. 2 spot in the flyweight Muay Thai rankings.

But if he wants a shot at 26 pounds of gold, he'll have to face his toughest test yet in front of millions of viewers on Amazon Prime Video.

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Rodtang ready to kickstart his 2024 with a big win over Denis Purich at ONE 167

Rodtang's fight with Denis Puric will be his first of the year after being forced to bow out of a January scrap with Japanese kickboxing icon Takeru Segawa in Tokyo.

'The Iron Man' is expected to have a busy second half of the year, rebooking his fight with Takeur before traveling to the United States for a tentative spot on the promotion's debut in Atlanta, Georgia in November. But none of that will matter if he can't get past the heavy hands and the high-pressure style that 'The Bosnian Menace' brings to the Circle.

Who sees their hand raised when two of ONE's most exciting strikers strap on the eight-ounce gloves on June 7?

ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 167 live and for free via Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime.