4 Key Takeaways From ONE 167: Tawanchai vs Nattawut II

Last Friday, June 7, ONE Championship hosted a blockbuster night of fights live in North American primetime from the sold-out Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

From the thrilling World Title main event to intriguing matchups featuring some of the most promising young athletes ever seen in combat sports, ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II on Prime Video delivered action and drama from start to finish.

Now that the dust has settled on this massive event, we look at the four biggest takeaways from ONE 167.

Jo Nattawut is a problem for Tawanchai

In the main event, reigning ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai earned an electrifying majority decision win over hard-hitting veteran “Smokin” Jo Nattawut.

That fight was a rematch of the pair’s unforgettable October 2023 kickboxing battle that Tawanchai also won.

Now that the pair of Thai fan favorites have gone to war for eight action-packed rounds, it’s fair to say that “Smokin” Jo might be the toughest opponent of the titleholder’s ONE tenure.

Rodtang is still Rodtang

The co-main event saw Thai megastar Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon return for the first time since losing a hard-fought decision to his compatriot “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9 last September.

Despite his time on the sidelines, the Thai looked like vintage Rodtang in securing a dramatic decision victory over Bosnian-Canadian brawler Denis Puric.

“The Iron Man” showed little fear, wading forward behind big combinations, happy to eat two or three of his foe’s best shots to dish out his own.

Given that wildly entertaining performance, fans can rest assured that Rodtang remains the most entertaining man in combat sports.

Adrian Lee and Kade Ruotolo put Lightweight MMA division on notice

ONE 167 also saw the much-anticipated MMA debuts of young phenoms Adrian Lee and Kade Ruotolo.

Lee – the younger brother to two-division ONE MMA World Champion Christian Lee and former atomweight MMA queen Angela Lee – looked far more experienced than his 0-0 professional record would tell, as he dismantled Italian standout Antonio Mammarella en route to a second-round submission.

Also, current ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo scored an emphatic, first-round submission win over Hawaiian slugger Blake Cooper.

Considering his incredible grappling skills and a lengthy list of accomplishments in the world of BJJ, Ruotolo is now arguably the most dangerous grappler in all of MMA.

Angry Mikey Musumeci is a different animal

Ruotolo wasn’t the only submission grappling kingpin in action, as reigning flyweight titleholder Mikey “Darth Rigatoni” Musumeci moved up in weight to make quick work of Gabriel Sousa–the last man to defeat him.

The New Jersey native needed just over three minutes to score a brutal, knee-destroying calf slicer in the most dominant performance of his undefeated ONE tenure.

After his victory, Musumeci unleashed a profanity-filled post-match speech targeted at Sousa and his tough-guy antics, proving that an angry “Darth Rigatoni” is not a man to be messed with.