ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon hopes to inspire a new generation of martial artists with his performance in ONE on Prime Video 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II. ‘The Iron Man’ hopes to increase American viewership of his sport, expecting it to boom in popularity like in his native homeland of Thailand.
The 25-year-old phenom is excited by the prospect of garnering a larger following when he clashes with Savvas Michael for the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix semi-finals this August.
He told ONE Championship:
“I’d like them to see my Muay Thai fighting style. I’d love everyone to appreciate it better, learn it better, and love it better on the day they watch me fight.”
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The Thai phenom is currently gearing up to fight one of the toughest Muay Thai strikers in the world and is excited by the prospect of colliding with a formidable opponent such as Michael.
Savvas Michael will make his return to the grand stage following a mesmerizing and lop-sided performance over Iranian-Malyasian fighter Amir Naseri last May. Both will bring their A-game in a high-stakes battle to conquer a larger US following and compete for a spot in the finals.
And who better to showcase what the sport is all about than two of the top fighters in Muay Thai this generation has ever seen?
Rodtang Jitmuangnon advises Savvas Michael to bring out his best if he wants his belt
Following Rodtang Jitmuangnon’s masterful performance over Jacob Smith at ONE 157, the 25-year-old superstar sent his next opponent a poignant message.
Rodtang is a difficult man to beat, and it will surely take more than willpower to intimidate ‘The Iron Man’. He was patient with Jacob Smith, which was an unusual sight to see, since he’s known to be a bit of a risk-taker.
In this case, the Thai phenom picked apart his opponent round by round, minute by minute, until the final bell with precision and technicality.
With a performance like that, it’s difficult to imagine anyone beating 'The Iron Man' right now. In a warning to his future opponent Savvas Michael, the Thai striker had just one thing to say to:
“You should bring out your best because I’m gonna bring my A-game. Let’s see if you can take out my belt, I’m going to win this World Grand Prix.”