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Rodtang Jitmuangnon has much respect for the improvements Jacob Smith has made since their first encounter in May 2022.
On Friday, Nov. 8, 'The Iron Man' will return to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand set to defend his ONE flyweight Muay Thai world championship against Smith in one of the year's most anticipated rematches.
Their bout will be one of three massive ONE world title tilts as the promotion presents ONE 169, airing exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in the United States and Canada.
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In the two years since Rodtang and Smith met at ONE 157, the British star has scored a highlight-reel knockout against Walter Goncalves and went toe-to-toe with one of the heaviest hitters in the fight game, Denis Puric.
Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA, Rodtang offered his take on Smith's improvements inside the Circle:
"I have a lot of respect for him. I view him as someone who has always been actively improving himself."
Smith goes into his fourth promotional appearance as the third-ranked contender in the flyweight Muay Thai division.
Rodtang believes Smith deserves a second chance
The announcement of Rodtang vs. Smith 2 came with a healthy dose of skepticism from fight fans, much of it surrounding the Brit's recent loss against 'The Bosnian Menace' at ONE Fight Night 21.
However, 'The Iron Man' believes that Smith is not the same fighter he was two years ago when they first went toe-to-toe and he's more than happy to give the 32-year-old scrapper another shot at his gold. He added:
"Smith today may not be Smith years ago. I believe everyone evolves into a different person always. He deserves another chance with me."
Will Smith seize the moment and land one of the biggest upsets in ONE Championship history, or will 'The Iron Man' deliver another dominant performance on martial arts' biggest global stage?
Fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 169: Malykhin vs. ‘Reug Reug’ live on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, Nov. 8 in U.S. primetime.
