In November, ONE Championship will return to the United States for ONE 169: Atlanta, their third event on American soil. This event will provide British Muay Thai fighter Jacob Smith with an opportunity to avenge his defeat and claim the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World title from current champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon. The title fight will take place on November 8th at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

With a renewed focus and mindset, Jacob Smith recently sat down for an interview with The South China Morning Post, making a statement that hyped up the upcoming fight. Smith claimed, “The fans can expect everything I usually bring but with a lot more skill and a lot better fight IQ.”

While not as active as Rodtang in ONE Championship over the past few years, Smith has been conditioning himself by training at Bad Company Gym in the UK alongside the likes of Liam “Hitman” Harrison, However, Jacob Smith is currently coming off a defeat courtesy of Denis Puric in April at ONE Fight Night 21.

In contrast, Rodtang, a fan favorite in ONE Championship, added three more wins to his undefeated streak after their initial encounter. While his run was snapped by Superlek at ONE Friday Fights 34 last September, he has returned to the win column with a kickboxing win over Puric at ONE 167 this past June. 

Jacob Smith plans to take down Rodtang

Earlier this year, #3-ranked Jacob Smith expressed his belief that he could be next in line for a title shot. In an interview with ONE Championship prior to facing Denis Puric in April, Smith stated, “My goal is to be ONE Championship flyweight Muay Thai world champion, and fingers crossed by the end of the year that comes through.”

Smith further targeted the reigning champions Rodtang and Suprlek, remarking, “Rodtang is the champion and Superlek is number one. After beating Walter [Goncalves], I’m now number two. Rodtang and Superlek are probably gonna fight each other again soon, then I should get the shot at the winner after I beat Puric.” Smith’s ambitions were clear as he looked ahead to the future, aiming for a title opportunity that would cement his place as a top contender in the flyweight division.

Jacob Smith’s relentless hard work towards his development has led him to claim that he has leveled up massively. It remains to be seen if the Brit can cause an upset when he rematches the legendary Thai at ONE 169: Atlanta. Stay tuned