"The mind is a powerful thing" - Upset-minded Denis Puric says he manifested long-awaited clash with Rodtang

Denis Puric may be the best-ever example in ONE Championship history of why it can be important to call your shot.

The striking veteran finds himself in the biggest fight of his career at ONE 167 and he has himself to thank for making it happen.

Coming into his fight with Jacob Smith earlier this year, Puric made it very clear that whilst he was focused on beating the Brit, there was another man in his sights.

A victory over Smith allowed him to really push for the fight that he had been so passionate about, a clash with Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

The fight was soon made official for ONE 167 where the two men will meet in kickboxing on June 7.

'The Bosnian Menace' doesn't just believe that he can win, he believes that this fight is all of his doing due to him putting it out there.

Puric told OG Frequencies in a recent interview about how his focus and drive led to this one being made official:

"The mind is a powerful thing. You dedicate yourself to something, it's gonna happen. You just gotta work hard and stay focused on the goal. So yeah, here we are."

Watch the full interview below:

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Denis Puric wanted this fight for a reason

Of course, fighting Rodtang is an obvious target for anyone who has the ambition to compete in the biggest fights possible but there is more to this fight for Denis Puric.

He has been very vocal about how in his opinion, 'The Iron Man' hasn't been tested much as of late.

Aside from his war with Superlek, which Puric is happy to give him credit for, he thinks that the Thai superstar has not been taking things as seriously as he should be.

The 39-year-old competitor believes that he can put the Thai star to the test at the Impact Arena in a bid to show that he belongs at the top level.

ONE 167 will air live in US prime time on June 7, free of charge for North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription.