Superlek open to fighting Rodtang under Muay Thai rules after kickboxing world title clash

Superlek (Left) faces Rodtang Jitmuangnon (Right) at ONE Fight Night 8
Superlek (Left) faces Rodtang Jitmuangnon (Right) at ONE Fight Night 8

At ONE Fight Night 8 on March 24, ONE kickboxing world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 will defend his title for the very first time.

After claiming the vacant world title at ONE Fight Night 6 in January, ‘The Kicking Machine’ will face off with ONE’s flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon, who will attempt to become a two-sport titleholder.

‘The Iron Man’ competed on the same card in January, scoring a dominant win over China’s Jiduo Yibu to set-up this champion versus champion clash in Singapore.

Whilst Superlek is happy to defend his crown against such a formidable opponent, the flyweight kickboxing king has plans to try and achieve the title of two-sport champion for himself.

In an interview with ONE Championship, he spoke about the possibility of reversing the roles at some point:

“I’m happier than disappointed. I’m a champion, and defending my throne is my job. I can fight him as the (kickboxing) titleholder or as a (Muay Thai) contender. But honestly, I wonder why I didn’t have the chance to challenge him first (for his belt) because I am a champ right now. If I could choose, I would fight him in Muay Thai first. But it’s fine for me. I am just focusing on defending my kickboxing gold. Muay Thai is another story for another time.”

Superlek feels he has one key advantage over superstar opponent Rodtang

In the first defense of his ONE flyweight kickboxing world championship, Superlek Kiatmoo9 believes he has one clear advantage over his upcoming opponent.

At ONE Fight Night 8 on March 24, ‘The Kicking Machine’ will take on fellow Thai star and ONE world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

Whilst ‘The Iron Man’ may be known for his dominant run as the flyweight Muay Thai world champion, Rodtang is out to claim the status of a two-sport titleholder.

With his relentless power and pressure, ‘The Iron Man’ is a very tough match-up for any striker in the world. After defeating China’s Jiduo Yibu at ONE Fight Night 6, it was clear that he would challenge the newly crowned champ.

The two elite strikers will face-off in the main event of ONE Fight Night 8 in the Singapore Indoor Stadium. With the entire event being live and free for North American viewers via Prime Video, this match-up is sure to be absolutely unmissable for fans of the striking arts.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Superlek revealed that he believes he holds an advantage over the title challenger in one key area.

“Rodtang may hit hard, but he is slower than me. This should be my advantage.”

Check out some of the defending champion’s best highlights inside the Circle below:

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