Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon is arguably the biggest Muay Thai star on the planet right now. The Thai superstar has continuously taken out some of the top strikers on the ONE Championship roster to lay a claim to that status – as well as the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship.
Not many fighters possess the sort of talent that “The Iron Man” showcases every time he steps inside the ONE Circle. His power, attacking instinct, and unbreakable warrior spirit are just some of the traits that put him amongst the best, and he shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
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Ahead of his ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix semifinal showdown with Savvas “The Baby Face Killer” Michael at ONE on Prime Video 1 on August 26, we take a look at Rodtang’s best performances in The Home of Martial Arts.
#1 Rodtang vs. Sergio Wielzen
When it comes to a perfect example of Rodtang’s raw power and precision, fans should look no further than his debut outing against Sergio “Samurai” Wielzen in 2018. These tools helped push the Thai sensation to a clear-cut unanimous decision victory over his rival, kickstarting his dominant run in ONE Championship in the process.
Wielzen continuously attempted to find a way past Rodtang’s defenses. But every time he got close, the debutant had powerful punches, elbows, and kicks waiting for him that connected with his jaw and body.
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Not even the Surinamese star’s downward elbows and spinning kicks could surprise “The Iron Man,” who stuck to the basics and gradually wore his opponent down to seal the deal.
The dominant performance immediately tagged Rodtang as one of the athletes to watch in ONE’s striking disciplines.
#2 Rodtang vs. Jonathan Haggerty II
Rodtang and Jonathan “The General” Haggerty left everything in the Circle in their ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title rematch in January 2020.
Unfortunately for the challenger, his best was still not enough to take out the defending World Champion.
“The Iron Man” methodically broke down the Englishman’s defense with a wide array of weapons before finishing the battle with a TKO at 2:39 of the third stanza.
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In the opening round, the Thai striking dynamo sent Haggerty to the canvas with a hellish liver shot and kept him on the back foot with his relentless pressure.
He started the second where he had ended the first and continued to charge forward with attacks, and by the start of the third frame, the Londoner simply couldn’t keep up.
The flyweight Muay Thai king showed his ruthless side by refusing to ease off the gas, and he sent the Englishman to the canvas twice more before ending proceedings with a final salvo of strikes to retain his strap and continue his dominant run.
#3 Rodtang vs. Jacob Smith
Rodtang put on a striking masterclass to defeat Jacob Smith at ONE 157: Petchmorakot vs. Vienot this past May.
The two stars faced off in the quarterfinals of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix, and the level of skill displayed by “The Iron Man” was remarkable.
Rodtang hit the promotional newcomer with every possible trick in the Muay Thai textbook. Basic one-twos, heavy combinations, teeps, roundhouse kicks, and elbows were dished out and consistently found their mark.
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Smith, to his credit, did well to hang on. But Rodtang, who was coming off a defeat against Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in a special-rules matchup at ONE X, was just too intelligent and sharp throughout the nine-minute contest.
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The bout, his most recent in the ONE Circle, stands as arguably his best performance to date and truly showcased how “The Iron Man” is only starting to enter his prime.
