Former longtime flyweight Muay Thai kingpin Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon scored a dominant victory over hard-hitting British contender Jacob Smith at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug, but the Thai superstar is answering some tough questions following his win.
That bout took place on November 8 in U.S. primetime and was originally slated to be Rodtang’s sixth defense of his ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title.
However, the 27-year-old was stripped of his belt when he failed to make the flyweight limit while hydrated, making Smith the only fighter eligible to win the gold.
Despite turning in a dazzling and entertaining performance at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Rodtang faced criticism for his trouble on the scale.
He’s taking that criticism in stride and told the media that this won’t be the last they see of him at flyweight:
“I must say as well that I’m not mad at any of the media and all the people who say things about me, and I must admit that I made mistakes.
“But, trust me, this is the second time that I made a mistake, but I won’t be making mistakes all my life. I will improve myself, and I will adapt, and one day I will come back to flyweight.”
“The Iron Man” vowed not just to return to the flyweight division – but also to reclaim the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title that he had held since 2019.
Now a contender and no longer a titleholder, he’s ready to fight his way back to the top:
“I feel sad that I lost that belt on the scale, but I will keep continuing and get that belt back. I will be returning to my throne soon.”
Immediately following his decision win over Smith, Rodtang was joined in the ring by Japanese megastar and #2-ranked flyweight kickboxing contender Takeru “The Natural Born Crusher” Segawa.
The two were originally slated to square off earlier this year at ONE 165, but when the Thai was forced to withdraw due to injury, ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 stepped in to face Takeru, scoring a decision victory in perhaps the best striking battle of 2024.
Still, bad blood remains between Rodtang and Takeru, and tensions nearly boiled over as they stood head-to-head after the fight at ONE 169.
It’s no surprise that “The Iron Man” looks forward to settling the score with his rival:
“Yes, I almost [got into] another fight right there in the ring. And I think that it’s time now that I have to face Takeru. I hope that this is the fight that everybody has been expecting. And hopefully, Chatri will give me this fight soon.”
Rodtang Aimed To Entertain Against Smith
Even though he lost his flyweight Muay Thai belt on the scale, Rodtang Jitmuangnon still turned in an electrifying performance against #3-ranked contender Jacob Smith.
Over the course of five rounds, “The Iron Man” did his best to entertain the home crowd, often smiling and clowning in between vicious bursts of aggression that left his foe battered and bloody.
According to the Thai, he wanted to show a different side of himself:
“I must say that I love this profession, and I want to show everyone that I’ve got many styles, not only just being aggressive. I can also smile and be entertaining. I want to show another side of me that I can still entertain all of you.”
ONE 169 marked the second time Rodtang has defeated Smith. Back in 2022, he employed an all-action, forward-marching approach to overwhelm the incredibly durable Englishman.
After defeating him this time, Rodtang embraced his opponent and offered some words of encouragement:
“It looked like Jacob Smith was a little bit frustrated. I was just going in and telling him that I respect him, and this is the second time now that we’ve been fighting each other. I just want to compliment him that he’s strong, he’s durable, and now we are brothers.”
