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ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9’s scored one of the most memorable victories in his professional career when he defeated Rodtang Jitmuangnon in the main event of ONE Friday Fights 34 via unanimous decision in September 2023 in their 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai fight.
It will be remembered by Superlek not only because he was the first fighter to beat Rodtang in a Muay Thai or kickboxing match in ONE Championship and gave the fans an all-time classic, but also because of the mark that was left by the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion on his face.
In a recent video posted by ONE Championship on their Instagram account, ‘The Kicking Machine’ revealed that ‘The Iron Man’ gave him a lifetime souvenir that he will cherish forever, as he stated:
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“This is the scar that Rodtang left. Rodtang will be with me forever. These are the wounds that are on my head. I have a total of 37 stitches. You’ll always be in my heart, bro.”
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The 28-year-old Thai star was referring to the damage that Rodtang inflicted on him during the match with a powerful elbow strike, which resulted in a nasty cut in the opening round of their showdown. That cut became an adversity for Superlek because it affected his vision, but he was still able to eke out the decision victory.
That victory improved Superlek’s record to 12 wins and one loss under the world’s largest martial arts organization.
Superlek returns to action with defense of his ONE flyweight kickboxing world title
After that action-packed and back-and-forth clash with Rodtang, many expected that ONE Championship would book an immediate rematch among them to sustain the hype they created with the rivalry, but the promotion went in a slightly different direction.
Rodtang was originally booked to fight Japanese superstar and debutant Takeru Segawa on January 28 at ONE 165 for the return of ONE Championship to Japan, but he pulled out of the match due to an injury. Fortunately, Superlek stepped in and accepted the challenge to defend his 26-pound golden belt against Takeru at Ariake Arena in Tokyo.
