Rodtang 'The Iron Man' Jitmuangnon shared his insights about one of the biggest Muay Thai matchups of the year, Jonathan Haggerty vs. Superlek at ONE 168: Denver.
The flyweight Muay Thai king will be watching his former foes very closely as they fight on US ground for the first time in their ONE Championship careers. Although it's going to be an incredibly tough matchup for the two experienced superstars, only one of them will be named champion.
Rodtang, who defeated Haggerty twice but lost to Superlek once, is the best person to share insight into how this main event unfolds on September 6.
On ONE Championship's Instagram page, Rodtang is quoted saying:
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"Superlek vs Haggerty is one of the biggest fights. If either makes a mistake, they'll get knocked out. Superlek cannot underestimate Haggerty, and Haggerty cannot underestimate Superlek."
Rodtang continued:
"I'm rooting for my fellow Thai, so I want a Superlek win."
Now, ONE Championship threw the question right back to the fans this week, saying:
"Who are you rooting for in the fight between Jonathan Haggerty vs. Superlek at ONE 168: Denver? @rodtang_jitmuangnon @superlek789 @jhaggerty."
Check out their mixed replies below:
"I go crazy for blood" - Rodtang breaks down his first encounter with long-time rival Jacob Smith
Fans in America are getting their wish this year with the return of Rodtang to US soil.
The flyweight Muay Thai champ is on a collision course to rematch United Kingdom's Jacob Smith at ONE 169: Atlanta on November 8. They are both to feature on the same fight card as undefeated three-division king Anatoly Malykhin and heavyweight challenger 'Reug Reug' Oumar Kane in the co-main event.
Rodtang and Smith first fought in 2022 in the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix quarterfinals at ONE 157. They put on a bloody and epic brawl from start to end, which they will again replicate in front of a sold-out crowd in Atlanta.
If there's one thing Rodtang loved about his first fight against Jacob Smith, it's this: fighting style, it was this:
"I go crazy for blood. I love seeing my opponent's blood."
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver and ONE 169: Atlanta are available at Ticketmaster.