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The legend of Rodtang Jitmuangnon only grew at ONE Fight Night 6: Superbon vs Allazov on Prime Video last weekend.
The long-reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai king, who has world title aspirations in three sports, made a triumphant return to kickboxing with a stellar three-round beatdown of Jiduo Yibu.
’The Iron Man’ was initially training to lock horns with Daniel Puertas, but some unforeseen circumstances led to an opponent change. That had little effect on the Thai star, though, as he showed Jiduo that there are levels to this game.
The aggressive headhunter came hot right out of the gates, connecting on a crushing left hand that left his Chinese opponent second-guessing his attacks.
Rodtang’s showmanship and granite chin came to play as the fight progressed. He willingly absorbed Jiduo’s best shots like it was nothing. The hard-hitting Thai dropped ‘The Eagle of Yi’ to close out the round, which ultimately set the tone for the rest of the fight.
By round three, Rodtang Jitmuangnon was already toying with his opponent en route to yet another dominant unanimous decision victory.
Following that epic performance, fans and pundits are left wondering, what’s next for Rodtang?
Rodtang Jitmuangnon is the rightful contender for Superlek Kiatmoo9’s flyweight kickboxing world title
Prior to his one-sided win over Jiduo, Rodtang Jitmuangnon last laced up the 8 oz. gloves back at ONE: Fists of Fury in 2021, when he outclassed Tagir Khalilov.
After cleaning up his division in Muay Thai, the 25-year-old proved he hasn’t missed a beat in kickboxing. It’s no coincidence that his compatriot Superlek Kiatmoo9 claimed the vacant flyweight kickboxing world title on the same night.
The stars have practically aligned for this matchup, which honestly feels like it's been a long time coming.
If there’s anyone deserving of a shot at two-sport supremacy, it’s certainly Rodtang. The man has paid his dues and won all 13 of his striking-only matches inside the circle.
Apart from securing double-champ status, Rodtang can even hit two birds with one stone if he gets that much-awaited Superlek fight. The Jitmuangnon gym superstar could avenge his teammate Panpayak, who has a long-standing rivalry with ‘The Kicking Machine’.
On the other hand, Superlek also has a lot to gain against a challenger of Rodtang’s caliber. Former world champion Ilias Ennahachi has been booted out of the rankings, so we know that high-profile rematch is not happening anytime soon.
If Superlek can hand Rodtang Jitmuangnon his first taste of defeat in a striking match inside the circle, no doubt he’ll solidify his claim as one of the best strikers on the planet.
