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Denis Puric ridiculed his upcoming opponent, Jacob Smith, for the latter's losing performance against Rodtang.
In May 2022, Smith made his promotional debut in the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai Grand Prix. The UK fighter was matched up against the legendary Rodtang Jitmuangnon for the quarterfinals, which took place at ONE 157. 'The Iron Man' dominated for nine consecutive minutes before emerging victorious by unanimous decision.
Smith's upcoming opponent, Puric, recently did an interview with ONE and referenced the fight against Rodtang. Needless to say, 'The Bosnian Menace' wasn't impressed with his performance:
"He got beat up every round when he fought Rodtang. I don't think he landed two shots on him."
Jacob Smith didn't showcase his full potential against Rodtang. Luckily for him, he returned for his second promotional bout in December 2023 at ONE Fight Night 17. This time, the 31-year-old impressed fans by knocking out Walter Goncalves in round one.
Smith was initially scheduled to face Denis Puric in April 2023 at ONE Fight Night 9. The UK fighter pulled out with an injury, leading to the matchup being postponed before they were re-booked for April 5 at ONE Fight Night 21, which takes place inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
ONE Fight Night 21 will air live on US primetime free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America.
Denis Puric predicts a quick knockout win against Jacob Smith
There weren't many positive takeaways from Jacob Smith's performance against Rodtang. He did showcase his durability, as 'The Iron Man' couldn't knock him out with his ferocious power. Yet, Smith's upcoming opponent, Denis Puric, believes he will secure a knockout win at ONE Fight Night 21.
Puric had this to say during the previously mentioned interview with ONE:
"But with me, he's going to sleep. I'm putting him to bed early."
Denis Puric made his ONE Championship debut in May 2022. Since then, racked up two wins in the promotion. 'The Bosnian Menace' last fought in December 2023, defeating Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat by second-round knockout.
