ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon got back to winning ways at ONE 167 this past weekend, and the victory was even sweeter due to what went on behind the scenes in the lead-up.
After nearly a year of struggling with injury, “The Iron Man” bested Denis Puric by unanimous decision in their catchweight kickboxing clash last Saturday, 8th June, inside the sold-out Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
Rodtang faced harsh words from fans when he came in over the bout’s initially set flyweight limit at the official weigh-ins, causing it to be reset at 141.25 pounds, so he was glad to get the win in the end.
“I feel relieved right now. On the day that I missed weight, I felt bad for myself, and there was heavy drama and harsh comments online. I couldn’t even pick up my phone to check my phone again. But the comments went too far. They were aimed at the people that I love and the people around me,” the Thai superstar said.
“About social media, a lot of people talked about how I didn’t train or anything like that. When I’m training, I’m focused on that. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to show everyone what I’m training each day or what I’m eating each day. It’s really irrelevant.”
ONE 167 was “The Iron Man’s” first outing since September 2023 and his first win since May of that year. He now looks ahead to the rest of 2024, and only one name is on his mind regarding an opponent: Takeru Segawa.
Rodtang was scheduled to clash with the Japanese kickboxing powerhouse this past January at ONE 165 in Tokyo, Japan, but injury ruled him out.
However, it’s clear that the bout hasn’t left his mind.
“Now that I’m back and fighting again, I want to fight Takeru,” Rodtang said.
“Takeru, let’s go!
