Danial Williams wants to ‘only thank’ Rodtang for pulling out of Superlek world title fight

Danial Williams is finally getting his coveted ONE world title shot against Superlek Kiatmoo9, and he has Rodtang Jitmuangnon to thank for it. Well, sort of.

'Mini T' was initially preparing for his Muay Thai return against Rui Botelho at ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video this Friday, March 24, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Rodtang, who was supposed to challenge for Superlek’s flyweight kickboxing crown in the main event, had to bow out due to a lower back injury.

ONE pivoted and offered Danial Williams a short-notice fight against arguably one of the most brilliant strikers in the world today.

While the Australian-Thai fighter would have loved to have more time to prepare for his first world title shot, how do you say no to a golden opportunity handed on a silver platter?

In an exclusive interview with ONE Championship, Williams thanked his lucky stars by playfully crediting Rodtang for bowing out of the match:

“Rodtang’s always done me favors. He raised my stock when I got to fight him, and now he’s stepping out so I can fight Superlek, the other legend in the division. This is awesome. I can only thank him really.”

Back in his promotional debut at ONE TNT 1 in 2017, Danial Williams crossed swords with Rodtang in an action-packed Muay Thai affair.

The 29-year-old did not get the result he wanted after ‘The Iron Man’ outclassed him in three rounds.

Still, ‘Mini T’ became a household name overnight in the aftermath of that fight. ONE fans certainly appreciated his skill and toughness, especially after holding his own against the indestructible Thai hero.

Danial Williams has evolved into a more lethal martial artist since that fateful encounter with Rodtang. He made a seamless transition to MMA where he went 3-1 inside the Circle.

‘Mini T’ has been vocal about his dream of becoming a historic three-sport world champion someday. He’ll be off to a great start if he can the upset win against ‘The Kicking Machine’ this Friday.

ONE Fight Night 8: Superlek vs Williams on Prime Video will stream live in US primetime and free for all Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.