“There Is No Reason for Him to Fear Me” – Superlek Shuts Down Talks About Rodtang Avoiding a Fight Against Him

Superlek Kiatmoo9 is not about ducking fights, and he believes his friend and upcoming rival is built the same way. “The Kicking Machine” is set to face Rodtang Jitmuangnon in the main event of ONE Friday Fights 34 this Friday, September 22, with their highly anticipated battle going down inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Originally scheduled to be a contest for the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship, their bout will now be contested at a 140-pound catchweight after Superlek missed weight.

ONE Kickboxing Flyweight World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 praises opponent and friend Rodtang Jitmuangnon

Fans and fellow fighters have long called for a fight between them, as they are two of the best strikers in the world today. However, in the four years that they have both been competing in ONE, they have never faced each other. In a recent interview with ONE, Superlek discussed his relationship with “The Iron Man,” admitting that they are friends outside of competition and have a mutual admiration for each other inside of it. 

Read More – “We Have To Accept It” Rodtang Jitmuangnon Ready To Put Friendship Aside To Face Superlek Kiatmoo9 ONE Friday Fights 34

“I’m fairly close to him. Rodtang is such a nice guy. We used to play soccer together. He’s a humble and funny person. He is one of those fighters that young fighters should look up to,” he said. “We used to tease each other about our fight, saying we shouldn’t fight each other. But we realized that sooner or later, we couldn’t avoid it. Last time we had a chat, we talked about this fight, and he said, ‘Wait a bit. I still don’t want to fight you.’ But we are professional fighters. We must do our jobs when the matchmaker throws any opponent our way.”

The journey of the two champions – Everything leading up to the clash between Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Rodtang Jitmuangnon

In 2022, Rodtang entered the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix in an attempt to assert his dominance in the division. Superlek was grouped in the opposite bracket of the tournament, which caused many to believe that they would end up against each other in the final round. Unfortunately, the divisional king was unable to compete in the semifinal round, ending hopes of the dream matchup. 

Superlek kept the hope of a clash alive by winning his bracket, however, as the winner of the Grand Prix was promised a shot at the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship. “The Kicking Machine” went on to win the tournament, taking out Rodtang’s teammate Panpayak Jitmuangnon in the final. But as the match was contested at catchweight, he wasn’t able to lift the coveted silver belt or make a claim at a World Title match.

Dive Deeper – Superlek Kiatmoo9 Predicted the Fate of the Two New ONE Championship Signees