WATCH: Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon turns on the jets in electrifying showcase against Fahdi Khaled in Manila

The Philippines has long been a hotbed for mixed martial arts, but Filipino fight fans were given a front-row seat to elite-level Muay Thai when Rodtang Jitmuangnon made his sophomore appearance in ONE Championship.

In front of a raucous crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, 'The Iron Man' squared off against Tunisia’s Fahdi Khaled in a three-round flyweight Muay Thai clash on the supporting card of ONE: Hero’s Ascent.

Watch the highlights below:

With a notoriously discerning audience watching live, Rodtang delivered in spectacular fashion, overwhelming Khaled en route to a unanimous decision victory.

From the opening bell, the Thai superstar set a relentless pace, unleashing a torrent of strikes that kept his opponent on the back foot. Khaled had no answer, as Rodtang’s sheer volume and aggression secured a clear-cut win on the scorecards.

What many didn’t realize at the time was that this triumph was just the beginning of a breakout year for Rodtang. He went on to rack up four more victories in 2019, including a unanimous decision victory over Jonathan Haggerty to wrest the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world championship.

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Rodtang aims to redeem himself at ONE 172

As the promotion’s flyweight Muay Thai king, Rodtang Jitmuangnon appeared unstoppable — until his reign came to an abrupt and unexpected end.

In November 2024, he was forced to relinquish his world title after missing weight ahead of his rematch with Jacob Smith at ONE 169.

Determined to prevent history from repeating itself, Rodtang is leaving nothing to chance as he prepares for a five-round flyweight kickboxing super-fight against Takeru Segawa in the main event of ONE 172 at Japan’s iconic Super Saitama Arena on March 23.

This time around, he has enlisted the expertise of renowned sports nutritionist Peter Miller to ensure he comfortably makes the 125-pound limit.

With a refined approach and laser-sharp focus, Rodtang is doing everything in his power to enter ONE 172 in peak condition.

Fans worldwide can catch all the action live at ONE 172 on watch.onefc.com.