"He has proven himself already" - Lito Adiwang says Rodtang should consider moving up to face stiffer competition

ONE strawweight MMA standout Lito Adiwang believes it is the perfect time for former ONE flyweight Muay Thai king Rodtang Jitmuangnon to move up to the bantamweight division and test his skills against some new faces.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, the battle-tested Filipino declared:

"I think he needs to move up now. He has proven himself already. He's swept practically everyone in his division. For me, there's no matchup against him right now that really excites me in his current division."

Adiwang's push for the Thai superstar to move up to the 145-pound bantamweight division is in line with many of their peers' recent comments after Rodtang was stripped of the 135-pound Muay Thai crown for missing weight ahead of his defense at ONE 169 on Nov. 8 against Jacob Smith.

Though the Jitmuangnon Gym star completely outclassed Smith, the flyweight Muay Thai world championship remains vacant as the 32-year-old was the only one eligible to win it.

---

Rodtang gunning to reclaim flyweight Muay Thai gold

Losing the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world championship in such a manner weighed heavily on Rodtang's mind even after ONE 169. However, he remains adamant about reclaiming the throne.

A remorseful but motivated Rodtang told ONE in the aftermath of ONE 169:

"I have never been angry or hated by the media or any channels. I know that I have done something wrong, so I have to accept the mistake. But believe me, no one makes mistakes all their lives. Since this time, the answer is that I can't handles this weight, I have to adjust myself to a new path. But if one day I can control my weight down to flyweight, I will definitely come back to claim the throne."