Before Rodtang Jitmuangnon became the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion, he was featured in some of the most entertaining matchups, especially in his first few fights in ONE Championship.
The Thai superstar was pitted against Fahdi Khaled in a flyweight Muay Thai bout that went down inside the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila in January 2019 at ONE: Hero’s Ascent.
ONE Championship made a trip down memory lane and reposted the highlights of the fight on Instagram, with the caption:
“"The Iron Man” activates BEAST MODE 😤 Will Rodtang take charge against Takeru in the main event of ONE 165 on January 28? 🔥 @rodtang_jimungnon”
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Rodtang’s aggressive fighting style was on full display as he walked down Khaled with his signature forward pressure, powerful kicks, and lethal elbows throughout their three-round fight. Also, ‘The Iron Man’ rag dolled him by catching his kicks and sweeping the other leg, throwing him down the canvas at the end of every clinch.
The Jitmuangnon Gym representative also turned up the intensity by shouting and luring the Tunisian athlete to engage with him and not run away from the action. This gesture was a classic Rodtang trait, and fans loved him for it. Eventually, Rodtang got the nod from the judges who declared him the winner by unanimous decision.
Rodtang Jitmuangnon currently preparing for mega showdown with Japanese superstar Takeru Segawa
After receiving his first Muay Thai loss in ONE Championship from ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 in their 140-pound catchweight super fight in September 2023 at ONE Friday Fights 34 that occurred inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, Rodtang is now preparing for another mega showdown on January 28.
The 26-year-old Thai is scheduled to welcome Japanese superstar Takeru Segawa in the main event of ONE 165, which will happen inside the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, for the comeback card of ONE Championship in Japan. Whoever wins this fight could be the next consensus challenger for the ONE flyweight kickboxing world title.