Rodtang says he "got bullied a lot" as a child: “I only played with girls”

ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang recently appeared in an episode of the CUTZRADIO podcast in Thailand, where he took a trip down memory lane from his lowly roots as a child.

‘The Iron Man’ revealed that he had a difficult life at an early age because he needed to earn money to support his family. Rodtang’s avenue to escape poverty and provide a comfortable life for his loved ones was Muay Thai.

He dedicated himself to “The Art of Eight Limbs”, and the sport reciprocated that passion as he reached the summit of success by becoming a world champion and a global superstar under the world’s largest martial arts organization.

But during the podcast, the 25-year-old Jitmuangon Gym representative shared another hurdle that he encountered during his childhood: bullying. Rodtang narrated how he was oppressed on multiple occasions as a young boy.

Rodtang said:

"So I walk to the closest gym which is located 300 meters from my house and observe. But I was just scared to walk in. That time I’m just a weak child who got bullied a lot, and I didn't have male friends. I only played with girls, because I always hung around with my sisters."

After conquering these hardships as a kid, the ‘Iron Man’ used them to achieve unprecedented success, which saw him win all his striking matches (both Muay Thai and kickboxing matches) in ONE Championship. His lone defeat came at the hands of ONE flyweight world champion Demetrious Johnson, as he was choked to sleep in their special rules super-fight.

Rodtang’s upcoming match will be against Superlek Kiatmoo9, where he defends his ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title on September 22 at ONE Friday Fights 34 inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

ONE Friday Fights are available weekly for free on ONE Championship’s official YouTube page.

Watch Rodtang’s full interview here: