“You will all be surprised” - Denice Zamboanga hints at Rodtang’s ground game ahead of 'special rules' match

‘Lycan Queen’ Denice Zamboanga says she maybe knows something the rest of the world does not. She believes fans could be surprised when Rodtang ‘The Iron Man’ Jitmuangnon enters the Circle against Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson.

Denice Zamboanga previously trained with Rodtang, although rather briefly, during her time at Fairtex in Pattaya, Thailand. ‘Lycan Queen’ says she has witnessed firsthand how hard Rodtang has been working on his ground game, even before the fight with Johnson was put together.

Speaking to ONE Championship in a recent interview, Denice Zamboanga described what Rodtang is like as a grappler.

“Oh, you will all be surprised. He’s so strong. And he picks up from coaching so fast. You teach him once and he knows how to do it already. In terms of MMA, he’s a natural. He doesn’t look awkward on the ground at all and you can tell by his movements. He doesn’t look like a Muay Thai fighter trying BJJ for the first time. I think that makes Rodtang really dangerous. People don’t know but he’s been training the ground game for a few years already. It’s not like he’s only starting to learn now.”

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Denice Zamboanga is picking Rodtang to pull massive upset

Rodtang and Johnson are set to clash in a unique “special rules” matchup put together by ONE Championship, which features alternating rounds of Muay Thai and MMA.

The fight is expected to headline the highly anticipated ONE X event, ONE Championship’s much talked about 10th anniversary show, which the promotion says will take place in early 2022.

While many fans and experts are picking Johnson to win the spectacle, Denice Zamboanga says she’s leaning toward picking Rodtang to shock the world.

“I trained with him back when I was with Fairtex and I know the quality of coaching there. I think he’s training with some very good ground fighters and he should be able to train himself to a certain point where he could possibly have some good defense to offer ‘Mighty Mouse'. He is also a very fast learner, so this extra time to prepare will only do him good. At the same time, he’s just the most explosive striker you’ve ever seen. We know how dangerous he is with his hands and with his striking. This is going to be an interesting fight.

“As for who wins, I’m going to be bold here and say Rodtang wins. His takedown defense is solid. I’m going with Rodtang.”

Denice Zamboanga is currently at home in the Philippines where she will spend the holiday season with her family. It is her first time being back since the COVID-19 pandemic caused lockdowns all over the world.