Chatri Sityodtong says Rodtang Jitmuangnon could be the biggest star Muay Thai has ever seen

ONE founder and CEO Chatri Sityodtong has hailed the 'superstar' qualities of Rodtang Jitmuangnon ahead of his mixed-rules clash with MMA icon Demetrious Johnson at ONE: X.

Nicknamed 'The Iron Man', the Thai has become increasingly popular in recent years with his explosive and fan-friendly style. The 24-year-old also caught the attention of Joe Rogan earlier this week. The podcast powerhouse was left gobsmacked by his incredible record of 267 career victories.

Rodtang is already the ONE flyweight world champion and Chatri Sityodtong believes he has all the tools to reach the next level of global stardom.

Speaking in a recent exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, the ONE boss said:

"I think Rodtang can be the first true global superstar of Muay Thai. We've had Buakaw and a couple of others, but I would say they were more regional superstars... ONE is a truly global platform in 154 countries, so Rodtang has the opportunity to be the biggest star that Muay Thai's ever seen on the global stage. He has the style, he has the charisma, he has everything. The only thing that I would want Rodtang to do is to speak English fluently, and then he can definitely be a global superstar."

Watch Chatri Sityodtong's exclusive interview with Sportskeeda below:

As well as being the king of the Muay Thai flyweight division, Rodtang is also currently the No. 1-ranked fighter in flyweight kickboxing. With so much talent at his disposal, the prospect of the 24-year-old holding two world titles before the year is out looks more than likely.

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Chatri Sityodtong expecting a "shock finish" in Demetrious Johnson vs. Rodtang Jitmuangnon clash

Rodtang Jitmuangnon has won all 10 of his fights in ONE. He's been working on his grappling in preparation for his clash with Demetrious Johnson, but 'Mighty Mouse' and MMA as a discipline present a different challenge to anything that Rodtang has faced before.

Johnson defended the UFC flyweight title on a record 11 occasions. He later went on to win the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix to further enhance his legacy as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time.

Chatri Sityodtong is convinced that regardless of which fighter ends up with their hand raised on March 26, we're in for a memorable stoppage:

"I think DJ and Rodtang will have a shock finish... It depends on the day. I wake up sometimes and I think Rodtang's going to knock DJ out, because DJ's never faced a striker of this caliber ever in his career. But I wake up the next day and think DJ is going to absolutely steamroll him in the second round and sub Rodtang. That one has a lot of intrigue for me."

Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs. Demetrious Johnson will serve as the co-main event of a stacked ONE X card as the promotion celebrates its 10-year anniversary. The bout will comprise four alternate three-minute rounds of Muay Thai and MMA. Crucially, the opening stanza will be the 'art of eight limbs', which sets up this special rules encounter as a truly fascinating spectacle.