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Flyweight Muay Thai king Rodtang Jitmuangnon is the embodiment of confidence when he’s in the circle. With his aggressive striking style, ‘The Iron Man’ is not afraid to walk his opponents down and take their best shots.
Away from competition, Rodtang isn’t the terrifying marauder that he may seem and can be very open and honest in interviews.
At ONE on Prime Video 4, he will look to defend his title for the second time this year against the champion of the weight class below, Joseph Lasiri. Ahead of his next opportunity to add to his win streak, Rodtang was asked whether there is any opponent that he would think twice about facing.
In an interview with ONE Championship, he named bantamweight champ Nong-O Gaiyanghadao as the man he would not like to go toe-to-toe with at this point in his career:
“Actually, I have no chance against him. I would only dare to fight him when he gets older. I think I can only beat him that way.”
Similar to Rodtang, Nong-O has been on an incredible championship run since debuting inside the circle. The Thai fighter has gone undefeated in ONE Championship, winning nine in a row with six title defenses to his name.
He is set to return at ONE on Prime Video 6 against the former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Alaverdi Ramazanov.
“I didn't like Muay Thai because I was scared” - Rodtang chose soccer over fighting when he was young
Whilst his name may now be synonymous with the sport of Muay Thai, it wasn’t always destined to be that way for Rodtang Jitmuangnon.
Earlier in life, the young child that would go on to become ‘The Iron Man’ was far more interested in playing soccer, as he explained in an interview with ONE Championship:
"Actually, my love for soccer happened even before I even started Muay Thai. When I was young, I didn't like Muay Thai because I was scared. I didn’t like to fight. I preferred soccer. I started playing soccer when I was a kid."
Rodtang was forced to face his fears when money started to come into the equation. Muay Thai helped him support his family so he switched his focus:
"But I was paid very little for playing soccer, compared to Muay Thai. So, I decided to compete in Muay Thai to earn more money to support my family. At that time, I would earn 300 baht per fight. When I moved to Bangkok to pursue Muay Thai as a career, I stopped playing soccer. I just came back to play it again recently."
Now one of the most decorated Muay Thai fighters in the world, it’s hard to imagine the sport without him. On November 18, he will look to continue his incredible run when he takes on the ONE strawweight Muay Thai champion Joseph Lasiri.
The two striking experts are booked for a showdown at ONE on Prime Video 4 on November 18 (US primetime). The historic fight can be enjoyed live and for free on Prime Video for all existing subscribers.
