3 keys to victory for Joseph Lasiri at ONE on Prime Video 4

ONE strawweight Muay Thai world champion Joseph Lasiri had quite the career turnaround after losing his first four bouts inside the circle.

Since then, the 31-year-old has won four of his next five bouts, capped off by that gold strap-winning victory against Prajanchai P.K. Saenchai in his last outing.

The Italian-Moroccan slugger will now look to end 2022 with a bang by etching his name in the history books among the promotion’s two-division world champions.

At ONE on Prime Video 4: Abbasov vs Lee, Lasiri will try to usurp long-time ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangon's throne.

The event, which takes place on November 18 (US Primetime) will be held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. It will be available for free to those with a Prime Video subscription.

Joseph Lasiri knows that he is once again the underdog against the seemingly invincible Thai hero. Then again, he’s used to it by now and he enjoys proving his doubters wrong time and time again.

With that said, let’s have a look at Joseph Lasiri’s three biggest keys to claiming the upset victory against Rodtang.

#3. Joseph Lasiri must impose his game plan early

Lasiri is a high-IQ fighter and has already formulated a game plan to frustrate Rodtang and throw him off his game. But as the great Mike Tyson once said, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

Getting hit by a Thai wrecking ball like Rodtang is certainly not fun at all. To win this fight, “The Hurricane” must find a way to stick with his strategy while fending off those bombs that Rodtang will throw his way.

In the buildup to arguably the biggest fight of his life, Lasiri said he would make Rodtang angry and use his aggression against him. That’s not a terrible idea, but it’s going to be much easier said than done. Lasiri can pull it off by employing a similar tactic as he did against Prajanchai.

The Kick and Punch Milano star must stay out of pocket and methodically pick his shots. If he can tag Rodtang while staying out of harm’s way for 25 minutes, it could annoy the fiery world champion and leave him open to mistakes.

Check out how Lasiri dethroned Prajanchai below:

#2. Joseph Lasiri must not remain stagnant and utilize movement

One of the worst things you can do against a hard-hitting striker is to be flat-footed and allow him to find his groove. It’s unwise to be a sitting duck around Rodtang, and he’ll clearly take your head off if you give him the opportunity.

Lasiri must be prepared to be on his heels for 25 minutes if need be and be able to utilize the circle to its fullest. As we’ve seen in his previous fights, 'The Hurricane' possesses the elite conditioning to constantly stick and move.

Mastering the distance will be key to nullifying Rodtang’s strengths and he must be able to hit him in places where he can’t be reached for retaliation.

Against Prajanchai, Lasiri exhibited impeccable footwork and was darting in and out with ease.

He tagged the Thai with powerful jabs and kicks and was quick to move out of the way when Prajanchai tried to counter. This will be extremely crucial against Rodtang, as pulling back a second late means he’ll have to withstand 'The Iron Man’s freakish power.

If Rodtang breaches the distance and comes close, Joseph Lasiri has those slicing elbows of his at his disposal.

#1. Joseph Lasiri must avoid an all-out brawl at all costs

By now, everyone knows that Rodtang thrives in chaos. The 25-year-old loves to play mind games with his opponents mid-fight by relentlessly taunting them as they trade leather.

Rodtang would often flex and mean-mug his way to persuade his foes to enter a slugfest with him.

No matter how tempting it is to give the Thai star what he wants, Lasiri must resist the urge to bite his mouthpiece and mindlessly throw fists with the flyweight world champion.

Many have tried to beat Rodtang in his own game, but all of them failed. That seemingly indestructible chin of his held up in all eleven of his striking-only matches inside the circle.

The only way Joseph Lasiri wins this fight is through his own terms. He must remain patient and only go for the kill when the opportunity presents itself.

Do you think he can pull off the unthinkable and shock the world against Rodtang? We’ll find out soon enough at ONE on Prime Video 4.