Rodtang Jitmuangnon may be the reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion, but the dynamic striker won’t be taking anything for granted in his next fight.
“The Iron Man” welcomes Jacob Smith to the Circle as part of the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix quarterfinals at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot, on Friday, 20 May, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium – and he recognizes that the Englishman will offer up a difficult test.
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“My opponent in this fight is considered really good at Muay Thai rules. As far as I have studied him from videos, I watched how he fights. He is awesome at Muay Thai,” Rodtang said.
“I can’t be careless. I’m meeting him in the first round of this tournament, but it’s not going to be easy. His build is large, too. I’m a little concerned.”
For his part, Smith is undoubtedly a remarkable competitor who deserves his spot among the eight men in the tournament.
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The Birkenhead native trains under the watchful eyes of Liam “Hitman” Harrison at Bad Company, and he owns a 14-5-1 professional Kickboxing and Muay Thai record.
His combination of aggression and power has seen him take out multiple names across the game, and Rodtang knows he’ll have to be careful not to be added to that list.
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“We’ll have to see how hard or easy it goes. I just can’t be careless, as this is a ‘small gloves’ fight, and he has a similar fighting style with heavy weapons,” the 24-year-old striker said.
“I haven’t seen any of his weaknesses yet, from what I’ve studied.”
Rodtang Jitmuangnon expects Jacob Smith to be the toughest challenge of the tournament
Regardless of his concerns, fans can expect the World Champion to do what he does best – light up the Circle with his charisma and aggression.
Rodtang boasts a perfect 10-0 striking slate in ONE, and he’ll do everything he can to extend that run.
That said, he considers the British star as his toughest challenge among the seven other contenders in the Grand Prix.
“He is the most dangerous of the group. If I get through Jacob Smith, the following fights might be easier,” Rodtang admitted.
Download the ONE Super App to catch these superstars in action at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot on Friday, 20 May.
