Jacob Smith says first fight against Rodtang wasn’t all that: “There was nothing that surprised me”

Third-ranked ONE Championship flyweight Muay Thai contender Jacob Smith of the United Kingdom says his first encounter with the divisional king 'The Iron Man' Rodtang Jitmuangnon is a thing of the past.

Despite getting dominated in their flyweight Muay Thai clash at ONE 157 in May of 2022, Smith says Rodtang did not live up to his reputation as the boogeyman of 'the art of eight limbs'.

Smith insists he would have defeated Rodtang back then if he had come into the fight better prepared. Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Smith talked about the first Rodtang fight and what he learned from the experience.

The 32-year-old Bad Company / Thaifist representative said:

"I remember being super confident going into it. I truly believed in myself, just like I always do. I just feel like he was technically too good that night. There was nothing that surprised me in terms of physicality. I just don’t think I respected how good his technical powers are. That’s the main lesson I learned."

Needless to say, Smith and Rodtang will undoubtedly ignite the ring once again when they lock horns for the second time this weekend.

Jacob Smith to rematch Rodtang Jitmuangnon for flyweight Muay Thai gold at ONE 169 on Prime Video

Jacob Smith will finally get another crack at 'The Iron Man' Rodtang Jitmuangnon when he battles the Thai dynamo for the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title.

The two lock horns in the co-main event of ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Prime Video, which broadcasts live from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, Nov. 8.

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action live and absolutely free with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for all the latest news and updates surrounding the event during fight week.