When he’s not training to defend his ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title, Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon loves to unwind on the pitch with a friendly game of soccer.
Now preparing for his World Title showdown against #3-ranked contender Jacob Smith on November 8 in U.S. primetime at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug, the Thai megastar still tries to find time to play his favorite team sport.
Rodtang and Smith will throw down at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, two years after their exciting first matchup in 2022.
It will mark the 27-year-old’s sixth defense of his belt and will naturally draw the attention of millions of fans around the globe.
As the biggest name in Muay Thai, “The Iron Man” has grown accustomed to high-stakes, pressure-filled situations. He’s learned to deal with that never-ending pressure, he says, by finding an outlet in soccer.
Rodtang told onefc.com:
“Muay Thai is my career and my life. Soccer is also my happiness, but I play soccer to have fun and relax from work.”
While the Thai is known globally as a pound-for-pound Muay Thai great, he’s been immersed in soccer for just as long – and the sport continues to be a major part of his life:
“I have been playing soccer since I first started school. I play soccer very often, three to four days a week.”
Rodtang loves soccer for obvious reasons: it’s a great way to spend time with friends.
Among those friends are his fellow ONE superstars, such as two-sport titleholder (and former foe) “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9 and current ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon.
He added:
“It’s a fun sport and there are a lot of friends to play with. I usually play with fellow ONE fighters like Superlek or Superbon, and some of my other friends, too.”
Rodtang Reflects On Gift From Lionel Messi
Rodtang Jitmuangnon’s passion for all things soccer has connected him with the sport’s brightest star, Argentinian icon Lionel Messi.
Late last year, the Inter Miami forward sent “The Iron Man” a jersey signed: “To Rodtang with love, Lionel Messi.”
As a diehard fan, it was only natural for Rodtang to display the custom jersey in his home:
“It means very much to me. I put this shirt in the frame and hung it on the wall.”
The flyweight Muay Thai king is a global superstar in his own right, but he admits that receiving a gift from Messi was a dream come true.
Rodtang says he’d love to one day share the pitch with Messi, and in turn, he would happily show the soccer superstar a thing or two in the ring:
“I’m super happy with the gift. Everyone who likes football dreams of getting close to Messi. Of course, I want to play soccer with him, and for sure, I would teach him Muay Thai.”
