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Two of ONE Championship's greatest titleholders — Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Mikey Musumeci — have become the unlikeliest of friends.
If you ever find yourself perusing the social media channels of Musumeci or 'The Iron Man,' you'll quickly discover that the two flyweight superstars spend a lot of time hanging out and training together. It's certainly an unexpected match considering Rodtang is a Muay Thai fighter out of Pa Phayom District, Thailand while 'Darth Rigatoni' is a five-time IBJJF world champion from Marlboro, New Jersey.
Sharing some insight on their friendship during a recent interview with the promotion, Rodtang said:
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"He is a nice guy, a simple person, and humble. He is ready to help everyone. You feel comfortable with him."
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On Friday, June 7, Rodtang, the reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion, and Mikey Musumeci, the current flyweight submission grappling world titleholder, will both feature at ONE 167 when ONE Championship heads back to Impact Arena in Bangkok.
Rodtang and Mikey Musumeci both move up a weight class at ONE 167
Interestingly enough, neither man will defend their title at ONE 167. Instead, they'll both move up to bantamweight with Musumeci seeking redemption against a former foe — Brazilian debutant Gabriel Sousa. First meeting one another under the Who's Number One banner in 2021, Sousa earned a submission victory over Musumeci via a north-south choke.
Three years later, Musumeci will have the chance to score a bit of redemption as he jumps a weight class to make the long-awaited rematch a reality.
As for Rodtang, 'The Iron Man' will strap on the eight-ounce gloves for a bantamweight kickboxing clash with surging title contender Denis Puric. 'The Bosnian Menace' is fresh off a big win over Jacob Smith at ONE Fight Night 21 and now has his sights on scoring the biggest victory of his combat sports career.
ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch ONE 167 live and for free via Amazon Prime Video in U.S. primetime on Friday, June 7.
