"I think his loss from DJ changed him better" - Fan appreciates Rodtang Jitmuangnon's respect in the ONE circle

Rodtang Jitmuangnon (left) and Demetrious Johnson (right) at ONE X [Photo Credit: ONE Championship]
Rodtang Jitmuangnon (left) and Demetrious Johnson (right) at ONE X [Photo Credit: ONE Championship]

Rodtang Jitmuangnon moved onto the semi-final round of the ONE Championship flyweight Muay Thai tournament at ONE 157 in May. He earned a decisive unanimous decision over opponent Jacob Smith. It was a masterful performance that saw Rodtang piece up Smith over the course of the nine-minute fight.

Following the end of the contest, Rodtang immediately dropped to his knee and showed respect to his opponent. The official Twitter account of ONE Championship uploaded a clip of the contest's final moments, with the following caption:

"Rodtang Jitmuangnon's all about respect in the Circle"

One fan on Twitter took notice and suggested that the loss Rodtang suffered against Demetrious Johnson at ONE X may have humbled the Muay Thai icon.

"I think his loss from DJ changed him better"

Following their fight at ONE 157, Rodtang and Jacob Smith were treated together for their injuries backstage. Smith's coach at Bad Company, Richard Smith, shared an image of the two getting patched up after their scrap.

"@jsmithmuaythai getting stitched, @rodtang_jimungnon with a broken hand. Getting treated together in @onechampionship medical room. Humility in victory and in defeat. 2 warriors took one another's best shots. Great fight, 2 great fighters. Warriors with hearts of lions. An amazing fight and an awesome performance from Jacob in his first One Championship fight against the current undisputed World champion and a legend."

Rodtang Jitmuangnon looks ahead to the ONE flyweight Muay Thai Grand Prix semi-final

Following his dominant performance at ONE 157, Rodtang moved onto the semi-final round of the Muay Thai Grand Prix. While the general consensus has Rodtang moving onto the next round, he will face a tough matchup against 'The Baby Face Killer' Savvas Michael in the semi-final.

With an overall record of 44-4, Michael punched his ticket to the next round with a beautiful performance against ONE Championship debutant Amir Naseri. If Michael puts on a similar performance, he has a chance to snap Rodtang's undefeated Muay Thai record.

While Rodtang's ONE flyweight Muay Thai title is not on the line in the tournament, a win over one of the most dominant champions in the promotion would likely push Michael to the top of the rankings. He currently sits at No. 4 in the division.

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