“I didn’t feel like I lost” - Denis Puric believes he should have been the rightful winner in epic slugfest with Rodtang

Denis Puric explained why he still felt like the winner despite not getting his hand raised against Rodtang Jitmuangnon. 'The Bosnian Menace' traded blow-for-blow with the former flyweight Muay Thai kingpin in a highly entertaining catchweight kickboxing slugfest at ONE 167 last June.

Despite coming in as the underdog against the fan-favorite Thai wrecking ball, Puric more than held his own. In fact, it seemed like he even came out on top of several striking exchanges against 'The Iron Man'.

However, despite a valiant showing against one of the best strikers in the world, Puric still fell short on the scorecards, losing via a unanimous decision verdict.

While he earned the respect and adulation of many, the 39-year-old battle-tested veteran admits he's not a fan of moral victories. The third-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender told ONE Championship in an exclusive interview:

"I feel like that fight with Rodtang, I didn’t think I lost that fight. Maybe the judges say he won, but I didn’t feel like I lost.”

With Rodtang vacating his flyweight Muay Thai world title after missing weight, Denis Puric has sights on vindication by claiming 26 pounds of gold for himself.

Denis Puric can move closer to the flyweight Muay Thai gold with a big win at ONE Fight Night 26

Denis Puric has already moved on from his razor-close loss to Rodtang. Now, 'The Bosnian Menace' is looking ahead by shifting his focus to a pivotal match at ONE Fight Night 26: Lee vs. Rasulov on Prime Video.

On Dec. 6, the hard-hitting vet with take on the red-hot Elias 'The Sniper' Mahmoudi inside 'The Mecca of Muay Thai' Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

While nothing is set in stone yet, the victor will likely move closer to the vacant 135-pound Muay Thai throne.

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