Fans react to Joseph Lasiri’s real-life Rocky story in ONE Championship

ONE strawweight Muay Thai world champion Joseph Lasiri had quite the journey to the top of his division in ONE Championship.

'The Hurricane' has gone through ups and downs, pitfalls and plot twists in the promotion worthy of a Hollywood movie production. The Italian-Moroccan fighter had one of the toughest roads to gold in ONE, losing his first four bouts in the organization.

After losing four straight and having his fighting future in question, Lasiri, against all odds, beat future ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Hiroki Akimoto. Still, after a high-profile win, Lasiri couldn't follow up with another as he lost a close contest against Mongkolpetch Petchyindee.

After finally putting together back-to-back wins in the promotion, Joseph Lasiri got his first title shot in almost four years since debuting in ONE Championship. Despite being the heavy underdog, Lasiri stopped then-ONE strawweight Muay Thai world champion Prajanchai P.K. Saenchai inside four rounds.

Now, fresh from winning his first ONE world title, Joseph Lasiri will challenge perhaps the most dominant and feared ONE Muay Thai world champion today, flyweight king Rodtang Jitmuangnon. Ahead of Lasiri's champion vs. champion bout at ONE on Prime Video 4, ONE created a video package of his tumultuous path towards the top.

Here's the video:

"Joseph Lasiri has absolute GRIT 👊 The ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion challenges flyweight king Rodtang Jitmuangnon for the throne at ONE on Prime Video 4! 🏆 @joseph_lasiri_official"

The video's soundtrack and motivational speech in the background got fans all riled up and the comments were both divisive and aspirational. Here are some of the comments from fans:

Fan comments on ONE's video of Joseph Lasiri's path to gold.

One username who goes by @jedi_mindtrix was not giving Lasiri any chance against Rodtang:

"The only way he beats rodtang is if he hits him with a truck cause he walks through punches kicks elbows and knees"

Another user, @tao_lifestyle urged the ONE strawweight Muay world champion to move up even further to bantamweight and rematch former ONE flyweight Muay Thai king Jonathan Haggerty:

"Pls Up to bantamweight i want to see u rematch Jonathan haggetty"

Instagram user @amazone_shieldmaiden_viking summed up the video in one sentence:

"Don't let anybody stop you"

ONE on Prime Video 4 is live and free across North America with a Prime Video subscription.

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Joseph Lasiri uses emotion as motivation for fighting

Though conventional wisdom would say that fighting with emotion can get you in trouble, ONE strawweight Muay Thai world champion Joseph Lasiri disagrees. The Italian-Moroccan world champion believes that emotions play a pivotal role in his success.

In an interview with Tim Wheaton of Kickin' It, 'The Hurricane' said:

"More than passion is emotion, because emotion is everything. Passion you speak only about muay Thai... There is a passion of course but that step I think I passed many years ago, now the passion when you win the first fight, the second fight, the first title, the passion was boom."

Lasiri added:

"And then [it becomes] work... Emotion you can put everything. Like now you win I feel better with my family, I feel better with my girlfriend, I feel better in my job. That emotion is everything... I will bring all my life in the arena.

Listen to the full interview below: