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Denis Puric has helped make his dream fight in ONE Championship into a reality with his recent performances and comments. 'The Bosnian Menace' has had his sights set on one specific opponent for some time now and the fight is nearly here.
While he surely would have rather got a shot at the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world championship, he'll settle for a flyweight kickboxing fight as long as it means he finally faces Rodtang Jitmuangnon.
Of course, 'The Iron Man' is a huge star and that makes him a dream opponent for a lot of fighters that want to compete at the top of the sport. But for Puric, his motivation in this fight is more about showing his own level than anything else.
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For all of his criticisms of the world champion, Denis Puric still recognizes that Rodtang is one of the very best strikers on the planet today, and that means this fight is a big opportunity for him to show he belongs at this level.
He told the ONE on SK podcast that competing against the Thai superstar gives him the chance to use his opponent as a measuring stick:
"I want to prove myself that I'm worthy of the fight, and that I can beat him. I want to prove to myself that I'm one of the guys at the top of the world."
Watch the full interview below:
Denis Puric can expect the best Rodtang on fight night
Denis Puric does have a lot of respect for Rodtang and his reputation as one of the best in the world. However, on the surface level, you might not think that based on some of the things that he has said about the champion and his recent run.
Puric believes that 'The Iron Man' has taken his foot off the pedal and that's exactly why he wants to test himself against one of the world's best. He will be bringing his best to fight night, and you can assume, given the talking going into this one, that the same can be said for his opponent.
ONE 167 will air live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7. The entire card will be available for free to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
