Rodtang thrilled to finally fight Superlek regardless of the outcome: “The title will still belong with a Thai”

Whether he wins or loses, Rodtang Jitmuangnon is happy to know that his ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title will stay in the hands of a Thai fighter.

On Friday, September 22, ‘The Iron Man’ will put his belt on the line against one of the most destructive strikers in the sport today, Superlek Kiatmoo9. Being heralded as the biggest fight in Muay Thai history, it should come as no surprise that the highly anticipated superfight will emanate from the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.

Appearing at the ONE Friday Fights 34 pre-fight press event, Rodtang spoke about his long-awaited clash with Superlek and revealed that whether he comes out on top or not, the world title will stay in Thailand which is the most important thing.

“Yes, I want Thai athletes to hold as many world titles as possible,” he said. “But seeing how Superlek performed, and defeating top fighters to get a shot at my title, I think it's time for us to face each other. Again, win or lose, the title will still belong with a Thai.”

Rodtang rides into the Mecca of Muay Thai with a 14-fight undefeated run in ONE Championship, not to mention an astonishing 271 career victories to his credit. But in all those wins, one could argue that ‘The Iron Man’ has never fought a striker quite as skilled as Superlek.

Dubbed ‘The Kicking Machine’ for good reason, Superlek has earned 11 wins under the ONE banner with four of them coming in 2023 alone. That includes back-to-back knockouts in the span of three weeks against the towering Nabil Anae and Russian knockout artist Tagir Khalilov.

Will Superlek score himself another massive win before 2023 comes to a close, or will Rodtang retain his world title and once again establish himself as the greatest striker in the sport today?

ONE Friday Fights 34 is available on the ONE Super App, the official ONE Championship YouTube channel, and other digital platforms.