Rodtang Jitmuangnon sent an unapologetic "I told you so" message to his harshest critics following his 80-second demolition of Takeru Segawa over the weekend.
The former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion scored an emphatic knockout against the Japanese striking icon in the first round of their flyweight kickboxing super-fight, which headlined ONE 172 last Sunday, March 23, at the legendary Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
Rodtang dominated the short showdown with ease, but even in control, he wasn't entirely untouched — taking a hard counterpunch from Takeru while pressing forward on the attack.
ONE Championship caught the moment on camera, and Rodtang later shared it on Instagram with a playful jab at himself:
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'The Iron Man' wrote in the caption:
"Can I please ask the experts, when I get hit by a punch, why does my face look like this?"
Despite Takeru delivering a solid blow that could have dropped any opponent, Rodtang's iron chin lived up to its reputation as he absorbed the shot without flinching.
Shaking it off with no trouble, Rodtang wasted no time in closing the show, uncorking a left hook that connected flush on Takeru's chin for the knockdown.
Takeru struggled to get back to his feet, but by the time he rose on unsteady legs, the referee had seen enough, stepping in to wave off the contest and declare Rodtang the winner with the official time of 1:20.
Rodtang reaps fruits of hard labor
Rodtang Jitmuangnon's scintillating victory at ONE 172 was the culmination of his effort and meticulous preparation.
The Thai sensation left no stone unturned, ensuring that he had the right training partners and specialists to fine-tune every aspect of his game.
To sharpen his defense, he brought in former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Petchtanong Petchfergus. Meanwhile, he enlisted sport nutritionist Peter Miller to manage his diet, guaranteeing he made weight and passed hydration with flying colors.
By addressing his past shortcomings and refining his approach, Rodtang was able to silence his naysayers to reward himsefl with a career-defining win.