Joseph Lasiri playfully faces off with Rodtang Jitmuangnon during ONE 157 fight week

Joseph Lasiri faced off with an opponent ahead of ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot on May 20. However, it wasn't the person he’s going up against on Friday.

Lasiri shared a clip on Instagram of him stepping off the scale for an impromptu and playful faceoff with the ONE flyweight Muay Thai champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

The caption read:

“🆚Against @rodtang_jimungnon 😂❤️⚠️⚠️ @onechampionship @kickandpunch”

Joseph Lasiri moved down to strawweight in 2020 and will not be taking part in the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix, where Rodtang is set to compete in. As such, ‘The Iron Man’ was visibly surprised when Lasiri suddenly posed for a faceoff instead of a fist bump.

In the comments section, one fan was amused by Rodtang’s reaction:

“First person I ever saw to surprise Rodtang 👏😂”

Meanwhile, another fan noted that while they were just playing around, an actual match between the two is something that could produce fireworks:

“Hahaha jokes aside that would be an exciting fight for sure!🔥”

The light moment is refreshing to see, considering these fighters are fierce warriors when they are competing inside the circle. One fan appreciated the clip, saying:

"Laughter, Joy, respect. This is how it should be ❤️”

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Joseph Lasiri has a shot at glory at ONE 157

Lasiri’s ONE Championship career didn’t have a dream start. Upon his arrival in 2018, he collected four straight losses before scoring his breakthrough win. By the end of 2020, Lasiri had moved down to the ONE strawweight Muay Thai division, where he is currently undefeated in two fights.

At ONE 157, ‘The Hurricane’ will feature in the card's co-main event when he takes on Prajanchai PK.Saenchai for the division’s top prize.

Prajanchai shocked the world in his promotional debut last year by defeating the legendary Sam-A Gaiyanghadao for the world title. His match against Joseph Lasiri marks the first time he will defend his strap in the circle.

If his last two bouts are any indication, Lasiri has found the perfect weight class for him to compete in. He's come a long way from when he first started in ONE Championship and will no doubt be extra motivated to cap off his incredible run with a win on Friday.