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They may have traded limb and leather, but Denis Puric and Rodtang Jitmuangnon are now brothers bound by martial arts.
Puric and Rodtang blew the roof off Impact Arena in their catchweight kickboxing duel at ONE 167 this past weekend, in a match that certainly left fans wanting more.
Although he captured the unanimous decision win, the lead-up was a difficult one for Rodtang.
The reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion recently recovered from an injured left hand and weighed in at 141.25 lbs, six pounds over the flyweight limit, and experienced brutal fan backlash online.
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Despite his tough exterior, Rodtang admitted in interviews that the criticism got to him especially when those online began targeting the people he loved.
One person, though, who came to his rescue was Puric.
In a video ONE posted on Instagram, 'The Bosnian Menace' consoled Rodtang backstage after their fight and told the Thai megastar that he'd always be there whenever needed.
"For me, no I don't care what people say, you and Buakaw are kings. You understand? This is why I want to fight. I don't care if I win, I lose. Hey, don't stress. Don't stress. If he ever needs anything, let me know I'm always there for him. If he wants to talk, anything, call me. I'm always there for him. You come stay at my home, okay? Don't cry, please. You're number one."
Rodtang says online comments became personal ahead of his return ONE 167
Rodtang's return to the Circle was filled with drama, to say the least.
After missing weight for his fight against Denis Puric, Rodtang suffered harsh criticism online with some comments.
Rodtang admitted in the post-event press conference that fan backlash became too much for him and he felt relieved after he got his hand raised against Puric.
"I feel relieved right now, especially on the day I missed weight, I felt bad for myself. And then there's heavy drama and harsh comments online, I couldn't even pick up my phone to check on my phone again. But that's okay."
