Jacob Smith confident Rodtang rematch will be a much more entertaining affair: “We have both evolved and improved”

Jacob Smith plans to avenge his defeat against Rodtang after falling "right into his trap" in their first meeting.

On November 8, Smith has an opportunity to secure the biggest win of his combat sports career in the ONE 169 co-main event. The British striker will face Rodtang in a rematch for the latter's flyweight Muay Thai world title.

Smith and 'The Iron Man' first fought in May 2022 when the former made his ONE Championship debut. Things didn't go as planned for Smith due to Rodtang's relentless pressure, leading to him retaining his flyweight world title with a unanimous decision win.

During an interview with ONE, Smith talked about his upcoming rematch with Rodtang and mentioned their respective evolution:

“We have both evolved and improved since then. Back then, I was just relying on how tough I was, standing and trading with him, which fell right into his trap."

Since losing against Rodtang, Jacob Smith has fought twice in ONE Championship against Walter Goncalves (first-round knockout win) and Denis Puric (unanimous decision loss). He now looks for a life-changing performance against the flyweight Muay Thai king.

Meanwhile, Rodtang has fought in Muay Thai three times since battering Smith, winning two and losing one (Superlek). 'The Iron Man' plans to extend his legendary run in the division by denying Smith of greatness.

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Rodtang looks to defeat Jacob Smith and book super-fight next time out

Rodtang won't be overlooking Jacob Smith at ONE 169. With that said, the Thai megastar has two potential super-fights he wants to pursue in early 2025 - a Muay Thai rematch against Superlek and a kickboxing bout against Takeru Segawa.

Rodtang fought Superlek in September 2023, with the latter emerging victorious by unanimous decision. Unfortunately for Superlek, he missed weight for the ONE Friday Fights 34 main event, making him ineligible for Rodtang's flyweight title.

Meanwhile, 'The Iron Man' was scheduled to fight Segawa in the Japanese superstar's promotional debut. Rodtang pulled out with an injury, leading to Superlek stepping in and defending his flyweight kickboxing world title with a unanimous decision win.

ONE 169 goes down inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The November 8 event can be seen live and for free by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.