Former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John “Hands of Stone” Lineker has taken the Muay Thai world by storm, and reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon is paying close attention.
On October 4 in U.S. primetime, Lineker tallied his second straight dominant Muay Thai victory, knocking out Russian standout Alexey Balyko at ONE Fight Night 25: Nicolas vs. Eersel II on Prime Video.
That victory came just a few weeks after Lineker’s professional Muay Thai debut at ONE 168: Denver, where he stopped Asa “The American Ninja” Ten Pow in equally spectacular fashion.
Those performances erased any doubts that the hard-hitting MMA veteran can compete with the planet’s best pure strikers – and Lineker feels ready for them, too.
Following his big win at ONE Fight Night 25, the Brazilian called out Rodtang for what would be a massive Muay Thai showdown.
For his part, “The Iron Man” respects the power of Lineker but is not impressed by his overall Muay Thai arsenal:
“For me, from a fighter’s perspective, he’s not scary at all. Only his punches are dangerous.
“But I understand his style. Because he’s short, he can’t kick effectively. He has to walk in to punch. But his punches are deadly. He can kill a buffalo with his punch. But if I use my footwork, he might not hit me at all.”
Indeed, Rodtang would represent a massive step up in competition for Lineker.
The Thai megastar boasts nearly 300 career victories in striking, including 12 thrilling Muay Thai wins in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
He also admits that if he were to face “Hands of Stone” in competition, he would avoid trading strike-for-strike in a firefight, and would instead lean on his veteran savvy:
“I don’t know if I can knock him out because he’s strong. But if I have to share the ring with him, I’d rather use my fight experience than brute force.”
In terms of skills and technique, Rodtang says that Lineker is still rudimentary at best.
For that reason, he’s not afraid of a potential clash with the Brazilian, even if there’s a risk of being knocked out.
“The Iron Man” added:
“His boxing is not good. But, I can’t be careless because he has powerful punches. But if you ask if he’s scary, he’s not that scary.”
Rodtang Willing To Fight Lineker At Flyweight
Rodtang Jitmuangnon is open to facing John Lineker in Muay Thai – but only if the conditions are right.
The athletes are regarded as two of the planet’s most fearless, electrifying strikers, each beloved for their ultra-aggressive styles of combat. However, they compete in different weight classes.
“Hands of Stone” is a bantamweight (145 pounds), while Rodtang is a flyweight (135). With that in mind, the Thai said he’d welcome the fight if Lineker can come closer to his weight division:
“He can call everyone out. I’m ready to fight everyone, but in the same or close to my division. It would be fair if he comes down to me, maybe a 140-pound catchweight, or 135 pounds.”
