Jacob Smith says beating Rodtang for ONE gold at Lumpinee will be downright epic: "It would be off the charts"

Jacob Smith says that beating one of the most indestructible world champions at ONE would be downright epic if he gets the job done at ONE 169.

The English standout has a very daunting task ahead of him when he challenges ONE flyweight Muay Thai kingpin 'The Iron Man' Rodtang Jitmuangnon for the 26-pound gold at Bangkok's Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on November 8.

Despite the odds stacked against him, Smith expects to display one of the biggest upsets in promotion history. Up until now, no one has been able to dethrone Rodtang. He's defeated every competitor with total domination since he joined ONE Championship six years ago.

So the prospect of beating a heavy favorite, will certainly open doors for an outside foreigner like Jacob Smith. But if he can pull it off in front of any angry and hostile crowd in Lumpinee, the victory will feel that much sweeter.

"It would be off the charts," Smith began telling ONE Championship. "It's something I'm not just dreaming of, but something I'm envisioning every single day. I just feel like this is my time, man. I just do."

ONE 169: Malykhin vs 'Reug Reug' airs live from Thailand via Prime Video for North American subscribers.

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Jacob Smith won't take a world title opportunity for granted after putting in years of hard work

Jacob Smith hopes he has done all the hard work to get to this moment in his career.

The 32-year-old star has one final opportunity to defeat 'The Iron Man.' Back in May 2022, the English brawler lost to Rodtang via unanimous decision in the quarterfinals of the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix.

As he said in past interviews, his fight with Rodtang was his first experience fighting at the elite level. To his credit, he was a tough competitor that night. His never-say-die attitude certainly won him a lot of fans.

However, Smith wants to be known not only for his durability but also as the guy who defiantly beat Rodtang at ONE 169.

He told ONE:

"I think it's hard to put into words how much it would mean to me [to win the World Title]. I wake up in the mornings, and I realize I have a chance to be the World Champion."