“You will be back stronger than ever” - Fans ready for Rodtang’s revenge tour after decision loss to Superlek

ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon suffered his first Muay Thai loss in ONE Championship last Friday at ONE Friday Fights 34. After dominating his division and dispatching formidable foes left and right since 2018, 'The Iron Man' was narrowly beaten by his fellow Thai megastar, ONE flyweight kickboxing king Superlek Kiatmoo9.

Leading up to the bout, fans, fighters, and pundits are dubbing the clash of world champions as a pivotal match in modern Muay Thai. There was a thick sense of historical significance inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium that night as two of the greatest fighters of this generation faced each other.

Originally scheduled to be a world title defense for Rodtang, the bout was changed into a 3-round on-title bout due to Superlek missing weight by 5 pounds.

Despite this controversy, the bout lived up to and surpassed every expectation as both warriors shined with their respective weapons of choice. What came out was an all-time classic, with fans around the world kept at the edge of their seats by the unbelievably exciting action.

In the end, Superlek was declared the winner via a decision which divided everyone who saw the fight. No one is more disappointed than 'The Iron Man', however, as he sat in dejected silence outside the ring.

Here's a video of the aftermath:

Fans showed support for the great 'Iron Man' but also provided some opinions on the outcome in the comments section:

Comments on the video

ONE strawweight MMA star Bokang Masunyane, pro fighter Serkan Yilmaz, and @mackay1981 provided some valuable insight on the razor-close fight and the unanimous decision afterwards:

"Great fight. I thought maybe a draw or split decision. What does everyone else think? 🤔"

"Rodtang won round 1 and 3 for me. 29-28 rodtang. But a rematch would be the best."

"Rodtang hammered him, was only one fighter in it but i guess the knock down won it. Rodtang will destroy him in 5 rounds"

Fans @iamrastysandar. @juangracia_10, and others, however, showed support for 'The Iron Man' and reiterated that a single loss does not define his legacy:

"Rise and stand tall man. You will be back stronger than ever"

"Don't look down king, you'll drop this 👑"

Fans in the United States and Canada can catch all the action of ONE Friday Fights 34 live via replay on the ONE Super App and ONE Championship’s official YouTube channel.