Elias Mahmoudi gives Denis Puric props for pushing Rodtang to the limit: “He is a very good fighter”

Elias Mahmoudi is the type who gives credit when it is due, even for his opponents.

'The Sniper' was among those impressed by Denis Puric's gutsy showing against former flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon at ONE 167 last June.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with ONE Championship, Mahmoudi praised 'The Bosnian Menace's' incredible performance despite losing the decision against 'The Iron Man'.

“He is a very good fighter who put Rodtang in difficulty. I think it will be a good fight.”

Elias Mahmoudi and Denis Puric are both in a position to move closer to the 26 pounds of gold that Rodtang vacated after missing weight in his last match-up.

These two ranked 135-pound Muay Thai strikers will trade heavy leather at ONE Fight Night 26: Lee vs Rasulov on Prime Video on Dec. 6 inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Algerian hotshot has been looking phenomenal as of late with back-to-back nasty finishes over Edgar Tabares and Taiki Naito.

A third straight win over Puric, in highlight fashion no less, will certainly put the No.5 ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender closer to his dream of becoming a ONE world champion.

Rewatch Denis Puric vs Rodtang, here:

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Denis Puric also holds Elias Mahmoudi in high regard

It appears like the respect is mutual between Denis Puric and his next adversary, Elias Mahmoudi.

In his own interview with ONE, 'The Bosnian Menace' revealed that he's expecting another challenging war against the Mahmoudi Gym star, who shares his desire to be the new king of the division.

"I wanna end it early every time. It just depends on how durable he is and how long he or me [can last in there]. I don’t think it’s gonna go the distance, but it might. He’s a tough guy."

Prime Video subscribers in North America can watch ONE Fight Night 26 free live as it happens in US Primetime.