"I was under a lot of pressure" - Rodtang lets out emotionally-charged speech after masterful win over Denis Puric at ONE 167

ONE 167 turned out to be a very emotional moment for Rodtang Jitmuangnon as he showed a vulnerable side to himself.

The flyweight Muay Thai king is known for being very much the opposite once he steps inside the Circle to compete at the highest level.

He's called 'The Iron Man' for a reason and usually, it's simply business when he makes the walk and puts on shows for his Thai fans and those around the world.

However, in the lead-up to his co-main event clash with Denis Puric, he found himself facing a lot of criticism following his withdrawal from ONE 165 due to injury and weight miss on fight week.

In his post-fight interview after getting his hand raised against Puric in an excellent kickboxing bout, he opened up and spoke from the heart about what this fight meant to him:

"It's almost a year since I last fought. Since my last fight, I had an injury and I can't really love myself [properly]. I kept this a secret from many people. I missed my weight and a lot of people said harsh things to me. To be back here, I was under a lot of pressure. To fight and have this victory again, I'm very happy. I'm grateful for all of your support."

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Rodtang did what elite competitors do best

For all of the criticism that Rodtang faced ahead of June 7, he did what he does best and went out there and performed.

There have been questions surrounding his commitment to his career, some coming from his opponent this past weekend, but you can always bank on the Thai superstar to perform under the brightest lights.

When all was said and done at the Impact Arena, the winner and his opponent showed plenty of respect towards one another after going to war.

It was a cathartic moment for 'The Iron Man' after he was able to remind people what he is capable of following a difficult moment in his career.

ONE 167 is available to watch back in full for free via Prime Video for US and Canadian fans.