Battle-tested veteran Denis Puric says advancing age has forced him to work harder for ‘young stud’ Rodtang

Veteran fighter Denis Puric knows he is no longer a spring chicken which is why in every match he engages these days, he makes sure that he works hard in training, especially against younger opponents. It is the same mindset he has in his scheduled showdown with Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon next week.

'The Bosnian Menace' clashes with 'The Iron Man' in a flyweight kickboxing joust at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs Nattawut on June 7 in Bangkok, Thailand.

It will serve as the co-headlining match of the event happening at the Impact Arena and airing live and for free in U.S. primetime to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Speaking to ONE Championship in an interview, Denis Puric, 39, shared the frame of mind he now has at this stage of his career, particularly against opponents like Rodtang, who is 13 years his junior and packing a lot of heat.

The Bosnian-Canadian fighter said:

"This is the reason why I made sure I took the right path and hired a proper conditioning coach because I am much older than Rodtang. I obviously need to work harder than him because of that [age difference]. He's a young stud, you know. He's strong. He can go on forever. I'm at an age where I need to take care of my body to make sure I'm not injured."

Watch the interview below:

Denis Puric is currently in the middle of a two-fight winning run, the most recent over Jacob Smith of the United Kingdom by unanimous season.

For his part, Rodtang, the reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai king, was last in action back in September in an explosive three-round catchweight Muay Thai clash with fellow Thai superstar Superlek Kiatmoo9.

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Denis Puric sees bigger things ahead in the event of a win over Rodtang at ONE 167

Denis Puric is expecting bigger things to come his way in the event he comes up with a win over Rodtang Jitmuangnon in their kickboxing match at ONE 167 on June 7 in Bangkok, Thailand.

The 39-year-old Team CSK standout sees more opportunities coursed through his way, including a long-sought shot at the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title in the possession of Rodtang.

Puric told Bolasport.com in an interview:

"Yeah, beating Rodtang means I reached the goal. That means I've reached one of my goals, right? So then, it'll be time to set new goals, new records, break it, you know what I mean. Like it doesn't stop there, bro. It doesn't stop there."

Denis Puric is currently the No. 2 contender in the ONE flyweight Muay Thai division.