"We must honor our opponents as teachers we respect" - Rodtang on the beauty in brutal battle

The ONE Muay Thai Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon is an expert in combat sports. The Thai-born fighter has contested more than 300 bouts and has several world championship titles. Recently he posted on Instagram about honoring and respecting a person's opponents. Honor and respect are pillars of Martial Arts and ONE Championship.

After each fight, Rodtang ensures to shake hands and bow to his opponent, and this is shown in the video. The Muay Thai world champion wrote on Instagram:

"In addition to the brutal battle We must honor our opponents as teachers we respect."

This idea of honor aligns with the beliefs of Martial Arts and ONE. Here is the philosophy of ONE Championship, as written on their website:

"We combine the unique excitement and energy of a live bout, the raw and refined athleticism of the Olympics, the honorable tradition of martial arts, and the unmistakable adrenaline of a rock concert."

In the biography of CEO Chatri Sityodtong, he re-iterates these ideas of honor and respect. On the ONE Championship website, it reads:

"ONE is a celebration of Asia’s greatest cultural phenomenon, Martial Arts... and the deep-rooted values of integrity, humility, honor, respect, courage, discipline, and compassion."

Muay Thai champion Jitmuangnon will have an opportunity to honor more opponents when he competes later this month at ONE 157 on May 20. This will be the opening round for the ONE Muay Thai flyweight Grand Prix.

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Rodtang in the Muay Thai Grand Prix

At ONE X, the Muay Thai champion lost in a mixed rules bout to all-time great Demetrious Johnson. Despite this recent loss, he wants to get back in the ONE circle as early as possible.

In the opening round of the 2021 Muay Thai Grand Prix on May 20, Rodtang will face English-born fighter, Jacob Smith. Smith is currently ranked number one in the UK for Muay Thai and holds a title in WMO.

Smith wrote on Instagram that he is ready to shock the world:

"One championship debut. 8man tournament. Let’s goooo. Can’t wait to shock the f***ing world."

The winner of this match will then face either Walter Goncalves of Brazil or England's Jonathan Haggerty in the semi-finals.

Rodtang has been competing in Muay Thai his entire life. He is just 23 but has more than 250 victories and many championship titles.