Rodtang loves Tagir Khalilov’s relentless offensive style: “He’s not scared to trade weapons”

Rodtang Jitmuangnon acknowledged Tagir Khalilov’s willingness to take risks and look for finishes in his fights.

On Friday, July 14th, Khalilov has a massive opportunity in the main event of ONE Fight Night 12 on Prime Video. The Russian fighter will fight Superlek Kiatmoo9 in a flyweight Muay Thai bout, which could potentially lead to a world title shot.

During an interview with ONE Championship, Rodtang discussed the upcoming matchup between Khalilov and the ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion. ‘The Iron Man’ had this to say about ‘Samingpri’:

“He’s not scared to trade weapons with opponents and take risks. He always aims to finish his opponent.”

Tagir Khalilov made his ONE Championship debut in February 2021, losing a kickboxing match against Rodtang by split decision. The disappointing loss led Khalilov to prioritize the ONE flyweight Muay Thai division.

‘Samingpri’ lost his promotional Muay Thai debut against Denis Puric by unanimous decision. Since then, the Russian fighter has been on a roll, winning back-to-back fights by first-round knockout against Chorfah Tor Sangtiennoi in December 2022 and Black Panther on March 17th.

Tagir Khalilov must now overcome his toughest Muay Thai test to date. At ONE Fight Night 12, he looks to take out Superlek Kiatmoo9, who holds a promotional Muay Thai record of 7-0. ‘The Kicking Machine’ has fought three times in 2023, including two kickboxing world title wins.

Superlek last fought on June 23rd, knocking out Nabil Anane in the first round of a flyweight Muay Thai bout. He hopes to continue building momentum by taking out Khalilov on Friday.

ONE Fight Night 12 will take place inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The July 14 event can be seen live and for free by North American Prime Video subscribers.