Looking back at 3 of Rodtang Jitmuangnon's best performances ahead of ONE Fight Night 8

It’s going to be an extremely busy first half of the year for Rodtang Jitmuangnon, but he certainly doesn’t mind.

The longtime ruler of the ONE flyweight Muay Thai division asserted himself as the rightful No.1 contender for Superlek Kiatmoo9’s newly won ONE flyweight kickboxing world title, with a masterful dissection of Jiduo Yibu at ONE Fight 6 last January.

Trading Muay Thai’s 4 oz gloves for kickboxing 10 oz. mitts did not seem to affect ‘The Iron Man’ one bit, as he put his Chinese foe in his place with his trademark raw savagery.

Now, the most anticipated matchup between two Thai wrecking machines will finally come to fruition.

Rodtang’s shot at two-sport supremacy will take place at ONE Fight Night 8: Malykhin vs. Bhullar on March 24 inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The entire event will air live in US primetime and stream free of charge for existing Prime Video users in the United States and Canada.

The 25-year-old is also booked to defend his flyweight Muay Thai crown for the sixth time against promotional newcomer Edgar Tabares at ONE Fight Night 10 in Broomfield, Colorado, in May.

Before Rodtang Jitmuangnon’s quest for history, let’s take a trip down memory lane and relive his best moments, which made him one of the most entertaining fighters in the world.

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#3. Rodtang brushes off shaky start to dethrone Jonathan Haggerty

After going unbeaten in his first five forays inside the circle, Rodtang Jitmuangnon earned himself an opportunity to strike gold at ONE: Dawn of Heroes in 2019.

Standing in his way, however, was Jonathan Haggerty, who is coming off a masterful performance to dethrone Sam-A Gaiyanghadao. ‘The General’ proved to be his toughest test yet, as the Brit used his superior length to keep the Thai slugger at bay.

Rodtang prowled and tried to enter the pocket but the world champion frustrated him with beautiful push kicks from a safe distance. The Jitmuangnon Gym standout showed his ability to adjust in the third round as he finally bypassed Haggerty’s kicks to set up his own offense.

Once the Thai wrecking machine found his groove, the match was practically over.

Rodtang put the hurt on Haggerty with clubbing punch combinations that eventually set up his destructive kicks to the leg and body.

After five rounds of Muay Thai mayhem, Rodtang was declared the victor, ushering in ‘The Iron Man’s reign as the king of the flyweights.

Rewatch the wonderful first encounter between Rodtang and Haggerty below:

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#2. Rodtang Jitmuangnon asserts mastery over Jonathan Haggerty by finishing him in the rematch

While Rodtang already bested Haggerty in their first encounter, he wanted a decisive victory in their rematch to silence his critics.

The two gunslingers traded leather anew at ONE: A New Tomorrow, where Haggerty assumed the role of the challenger this time around. However, unlike their last fight where Rodtang Jitmuangnon had trouble in the early rounds, the world champion went to work right away.

‘The General’ came crashing down as early as round one following two hellacious body blows that took the wind out of him.

The second canto was more of the same, as Haggerty had no choice but to backpedal or risk getting trampled by the rampaging Thai. While the 26-year-old put up a valiant effort and kept fighting, he was only delaying the inevitable in round three.

Cornered by Rodtang near the ring ropes, a bloodied-up Haggerty got dropped thrice in the third period, which signaled his defeat and effectively ended his rivalry with the Thai megastar.

Relive Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs Jonathan Haggerty II below:

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#1. Rodtang showcases his evolution against Jacob Smith in ONE Flyweight Muay Thai Grand Prix quarterfinals

Despite the utter dominance he has shown inside the circle, Rodtang Jitmuangnon still has his fair share of detractors.

For one, some pundits have questioned his overly aggressive style, particularly his penchant for willingly absorbing hits. As entertaining as it is to watch, some can’t help but wonder if Rodtang has other things to offer aside from his savage brutality.

The 25-year-old addressed all these concerns when he looked like a completely different fighter against Jacob Smith in the quarterfinals of the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix at ONE 157.

Pitted against a methodical opponent, the Thai berserker looked as polished as he’s ever been, outclassing the Englishman with textbook Muay Thai attacks. Rodtang’s arsenal was in full display, landing picture-perfect one-twos, sharp combinations, teeps, roundhouse kicks, and elbows.

Each strike was delivered with such skill and precision while packing Rodtang’s trademark earth-shattering power.

After three rounds of cerebral annihilation, Rodtang Jitmuangnon emerged victorious and proved he is a complete fighter.

Relive the best performance of Rodtang’s career below: