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ONE Championship undoubtedly had the greatest Muay Thai action on the planet this year, and one of the premier matches was the one between Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Superlek Kiatmoo9.
Both fighters are considered two of the best of their generation, and the two also hold flyweight gold in the promotion as well.
Rodtang is the reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion while Superlek is the ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion, and their showdown at ONE Friday Fights 34 was tabbed as arguably the Muay Thai fight of the decade.
These are two fighters at the peak of their physical primes, and both Rodtang and Superlek are considered two of the figureheads who will lead Muay Thai into the new era.
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Their meeting was long fated to happen, and a couple of hiccups were not enough to dampen the hype for their matchup at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.
Rodtang was supposed to defend his Muay Thai gold against Superlek, but ‘The Kicking Machine’ missed weight forcing the bout to be changed to a non-title catchweight fight.
Nevertheless, the atmosphere inside the hallowed stadium was palpable. Everyone in attendance knew that the match was going to be a pivotal moment in Muay Thai history and that it wouldn’t be the first time Superlek and Rodtang would be trading leather.
As the promotion promised, the matchup between the two Thai megastars more than exceeded all expectations.
Rodtang attacked early and cut Superlek with a razor elbow barely a minute into the fight. That cut ended up becoming a huge factor in the fight, that was until Superlek did what was deemed impossible.
With less than a minute left in the second round, the two fighters traded bombs within short distance and Superlek took the decisive shot in the exchange.
He landed a knee to the gut and followed it up immediately with a short elbow that caused Rodtang to stumble near the ropes for the knockdown. While Rodtang protested, Superlek did the unthinkable and had the judges swaying in his favor.
In the end, it was a close but unanimous decision win for Superlek, but many believe his first fight against Rodtang won’t be the last time they face off against each other.
Superlek and Rodtang’s stellar personas keep on getting brighter
The ONE Friday Fights 34 bout kept fans highly invested in the inevitable rivalry between Superlek and Rodtang, as they believe at least a trilogy is bound to happen between the two future icons.
While they won’t be squaring off each other in the first month of 2024, the two fighters are scheduled for high-profile fights against worthy opposition.
Superlek will headline ONE Championship’s first Amazon card of 2024 when he defends the ONE flyweight kickboxing world title against Elias Mahmoudi on January 12 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
Rodtang, meanwhile, will finally face Takeru Segawa in the Japanese legend’s ONE Championship debut at ONE 165 on January 28 at Ariake Arena.
ONE Championship knows that Superlek and Rodtang are two of its brightest stars, and its decision to put them as headliners on two January cards speaks volumes about the star power they possess.
