“Tenshin is worried about the elbows” - Rodtang is willing to bend to make special rules fight against Tenshin

Rodtang ‘The Iron Man’ Jitmuangnon wants a piece of Tenshin Nasukawa before the latter quits kickboxing for good.

Over the past week, both athletes have tentatively agreed to fight if an offer is placed on the table. In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Rodtang claimed a special rules contest consisting of kickboxing and Muay Thai rounds will be the best way for them to settle the score and end their rivalry.

Rodtang is aware of Tenshin’s superior kickboxing skills, but he wants to see how the young Japanese star will handle his world-class Muay Thai arsenal.

‘The Iron Man’ admits he thinks there will be a little hesitation on Tenshin’s part due to the use of elbows. Elbows are allowed in Muay Thai but are illegal in kickboxing.

When asked about a preferred ruleset for their rematch, Rodtang told ONE:

“I am good at Muay Thai, so of course I would prefer Muay Thai rules. I know Tenshin would not accept this because he would worry about the elbows. He would prefer kickboxing rules. So, to make it fair for both sides, I would be open to a mixed rules fight – Muay Thai and kickboxing. We can do five rounds – Muay Thai for rounds one and three, and kickboxing for rounds two and four, or the other way around. Then in the last round, we can do kickboxing plus clinching and knees, but no elbows.”

Above all, Rodtang just wants to dish out another striking clinic to prove why he is the best in the world - be it in kickboxing or Muay Thai. He is not fussy about the rules, as long as he gets his hands on Tenshin before he leaves kickboxing for good:

“Actually, we can discuss [this more too], just to make it fair. I am so easy. I really would like for this to happen. It would be fun for the fans and would clear the issues from our first fight."

As per martial arts site Gong Kakutogi on Sunday, Tenshin revealed that he had two bouts left on his contract with RISE. He admitted that he would love to fight Rodtang in a rematch in his last kickboxing fight ever.

Rodtang responded to that statement a day later, posting a picture of himself alongside Tenshin with a teasing caption.

---

Possible transition to MMA for Rodtang

Of course, Rodtang has that other super fight on the horizon, one that involves arguably the greatest mixed martial artist of all time -- Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson. The 24-year-old Thai warrior stressed that he too may depart the striking realm in pursuit of a career in MMA full time.

“If possible, I might want to continue fighting MMA,” Rodtang said.

Similar to Tenshin, Rodtang is eager to test himself in another discipline. ‘The Iron Man’ is penciled in to take on the MMA great in a special rules fight consisting of two Muay Thai and two MMA rounds at ONE X, ONE Championship’s 10th anniversary show slated for early 2022.

The fight will be Rodtang’s first-ever experience in an MMA contest. If he enjoys those two rounds against ‘Mighty Mouse’ and has relative success, Rodtang may indeed be open to making the switch to MMA.

Rodtang told ONE:

“After I learned that my fight with DJ was postponed, I continued to train. I stayed positive. Actually, it's good for me because I can have more time to train my ground game. After this fight, I might continue MMA, if possible. That would be great.”