White Shark: The story behind Rodtang’s first fight name before ‘The Iron Man’

Unlike Marvel's Tony Stark, Rodtang Jitmuangnon was not born into wealth before he became known as 'The Iron Man.' As a matter of fact, he wasn’t even bestowed with the superhero nickname when he first competed.

The ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion, who defends his 26 pounds of gold against 'The Kicking Machine' Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE Friday Fights 34 on September 22, was in the opposite category.

Growing up without much, but basic necessities, the divisional king took it upon himself to discover ways to help his parents financially.

While football was the first thing on his mind, as it was his hobby, the far bigger rewards, and prizes in Muay Thai caught his attention. It was not long before 'the art of eight limbs' became the only thing he lived and breathed the discipline.

Interestingly, his debut, though it was one to remember, wasn't even something he was supposed to fight on. Rodtang replaced his friend on short notice and even took on his fight name to make things easier.

Rodtang told CUTZRADIO:

“No, I’m just a nameless kid in my first fight, and in my second fight I use the name ‘White Shark’. To tell the truth, it’s my friend's name. But he got sick and can’t make it to the fight, so I have to replace him and also use his name to fight.”

Watch the interview here:

However, since then, due to his fighting style, Rodtang has been given the nickname ‘The Iron Man,’ and he’s lived up to it ever since.

Find out if he can continue his impressive winning streak on the global stage of ONE Championship when he meets Superlek at ONE Friday Fights 34 on September 22. Fans can catch their fight on ONE Championship’s YouTube channel live and for free.