Joseph Lasiri looks back on his experience fighting Rodtang

At ONE Fight Night 8 on March 24, ONE Championship’s dominant flyweight Muay Thai king Rodtang Jitmuangnon is back. This time, it’s not his world championship that is on the line.

After achieving an absolutely unstoppable run as a world champion, ‘The Iron Man’ is now out to claim two-sport champion status when he challenges flyweight kickboxing titleholder Superlek Kiatmoo9.

In this highly anticipated main event superfight, the common opinion is that the defending champion will need to use his speed and footwork in order to avoid getting into a war with ‘The Iron Man’.

One man who found out first hand that this is much easier said than done was the last challenger to Rodtang’s Muay Thai title, Joseph Lasiri.

At ONE on Prime Video 4, the strawweight titleholder moved up a weight class to try his hand at becoming a two-sport world champion, but came up short.

In an interview with The MMA Superfan on YouTube, he reflected on the experience:

“It was one of the best experiences of my career. I was [out of] flyweight, I came back and it wasn’t a good experience. But when I went to strawweight, [although] everything was not easier, they were better. So I'm the strawweight Muay Thai world champion and they called me back to flyweight, so for me it was like a challenge. I came back to the flyweight division against one of the best fighters in the world, and tried to make history.”

Watch the full interview below:

---

Rodtang Jitmuangnon says experience has made him a better fighter

ONE’s flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon has become one of the biggest stars in all of combat sports largely thanks to two reasons.

Not only has ‘The Iron Man’ produced an absolutely dominant run of wins, his performances inside the Circle have always been must-watch.

Ahead of his next contest at ONE Fight Night 8 on March 24 where he faces flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9, he suggested that his style may be different for this upcoming fight.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Rodtang admitted that whilst he always wants to put on a show for the fans, he is starting to adapt his style depending on his opponents.

He said:

“I think that’s because I have more experience. I’ve fought a lot, and I love to study my opponents ahead of time. So, no matter what my opponent will bring to me, I can adjust my game plan according to the situation. If they charge at me aggressively, I can’t fight them back with brute force. I have to switch my style to be more of a technician. Or if my opponent tries to walk away from me, I will use my aggressive mode and chase him. The trick is to read your opponent first.”

ONE Fight Night 8, headlined by the Thai superfight, will be live on March 24 from the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The entire event will also air live and for free via Prime Video for North American viewers.