The long-awaited matchup between Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Superlek Kiatmoo9 will finally take place in just under a month. On Friday, September 22, the two elite Thai strikers will face off for Rodtang’s ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title in the main event of ONE Friday Fights 34, inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Both men hold gold in the flyweight ranks and are the top contenders for each other’s strap, which means a battle between them has been more or less inevitable. But for some time, it appeared that they had different priorities in their careers, leaving fans uncertain about whether they would ever see them clash.

Rodtang draws a Line on friendship with Superlek, ready to put on a show

As such, it was welcome news for everyone when their World Title tussle was announced, including “The Iron Man” himself. “When the matchmaker offers the fight, we have to accept it. We are fighters. If they think the right time has come for us to fight each other, let’s make it happen,” he told ONE Championship. “I already knew that someday we would have to face each other because there’s no one left in the rankings except Superlek and the newcomer, Takeru.

And now Jonathan Haggerty is in another division [bantamweight]. “So, I have to fight with Superlek, for sure. It is not just the fans who anticipate this fight. I do, too.” The fact that the two striking superstars have yet to meet in the world’s largest martial arts organization speaks volumes for the amount of talent in their division. They have grown their respective legends while being able to cheer each other on as they amass more and more success, which has formed a close bond between them.

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But Rodtang says they’ll easily be able to put their friendship aside to find out who the better man is. “It’s not hard at all [to compete against a friend]. Outside the ring, we are brothers in arms. We respect each other. But when we have to fight, we will leave the friendship behind. We will never let friendship influence us, as we are fighters in the ring.” he said.

Both fighters are riding their respective win streaks

Rodtang is undefeated in striking competition in ONE, winning all 14 fights since his promotional debut in 2018. His combination of power, speed, and showmanship has also endeared him to fans around the world. Meanwhile, Superlek is on an insane seven-fight winning streak, including three straight stoppage wins. “The Kicking Machine” is clearly on top of his game right now, and some fans and fellow fighters have picked him to pull off an upset against his compatriot when they face each other.

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“The Iron Man” is unfazed by these comments, though. Rather than dedicating his time to silencing critics, he wants to focus on what he does best and let the people decide what to say next. “I don’t care about those comments. I just go there to do my job and do my best,” Rodtang said. “I don’t want to silence anyone. Let them watch me in the ring. If Superlek happens to make a mistake, I can knock him out. It’s just as simple as that.”