In a monumental showdown of modern-day striking greats, Superlek Kiatmoo9 handed Rodtang Jitmuangnon his first defeat under striking rules in ONE Championship in the main event of ONE Friday Fights 34 on September 22.
While ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek missed weight for his challenge of ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang – turning their matchup into a 140-pound catchweight affair – the Thai megastars produced a striking clinic for the ages at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The friendship between these Thai superstars was put aside at the sound of the opening bell, with “The Kicking Machine” relying on his heavy right kicks to slow down Rodtang’s boxing combinations.
Those kicks may have connected on “The Iron Man’s” thigh like baseball bats, but the latter – as he always does – never backed down, even sneaking in an upward elbow that opened Superlek up.
Rodtang, with his eyes on the prize, kept closing the distance at every opportunity to begin the second stanza. On the other side, Superlek seemed successful in his mission to slow down his typically fast-paced foe by utilizing a heavy kicking game.
With Rodtang’s legs taking a beating, Superlek soon managed to dictate the pace for a brief spell. And with the ball finally in his court, he didn’t think twice about taking full advantage.
He sent the flyweight Muay Thai king backpedaling to the ropes and unleashed a knee from hell. “The Iron Man” was on high alert, but before he could restrategize, Superlek connected with an elbow that sent the crowd into a frenzy and Rodtang down for an eight-count.
Despite that significant knockdown, Rodtang’s confidence was unchanged, and that set up an electrifying third round of back-and-forth action.
Both warriors threw the kitchen sink at one another, with Rodtang unleashing punches in bunches and occasional elbows while Superlek took his foe’s best shots, navigated his way out of enemy territory, and countered with clean strikes.
In the end, the biggest Muay Thai fight in years did not disappoint. It produced a nine-minute war featuring two of the very best athletes at the top of their respective mountains.
Unfortunately, only one of them could leave as the victor.
And on this historic occasion – on the grandest stage of all in the “Mecca of Muay Thai” – Superlek earned the unanimous decision victory over Rodtang that upped his impressive career slate to 136-29 and perhaps kick-started a storied rivalry.
