ONE Championship: Rodtang ‘shocked’ by fan reception in US, eyes Takeru fight in Japan
- Rodtang was one of the stars of last week’s ONE Fight Night 10 card in Denver, where he wowed fans with a knockout of Edgar Tabares
- Flyweight Muay Thai champ not keen on fighting his countryman Superlek next, and instead aims for Jonathan Haggerty at bantamweight
Nobody was more surprised by the reception that Rodtang Jitmuangnon got in the United States than the ONE Championship flyweight Muay Thai champion himself.
The Thai, 25, had his first fight on US soil at ONE Fight Night 10 last Friday in Denver, Colorado – also the Singapore-based martial art’s promotion’s debut in the country.
He retained his belt with a devastating second-round knockout of Mexico’s Edgar Tabares, which drove the crowd inside the host 1stBank Centre into a frenzy of excitement – but they were screaming his name long before the fight began, and continued to do so long after it was over.
“I was shocked,” he said at the ONE Fight Night 10 post-fight press conference. “I had no idea that they would respond that way, or that I already had a fan base in America. I was shocked. I’m very grateful.
“I never thought, as a child struggling in poverty, that I’d be here.”
Rodtang defeated Tabares in the co-main event of the card – the penultimate bout of the night. Headlining honours went to a flyweight MMA title fight between champion Demetrious Johnson and challenger Adriano Moraes, which the former won by unanimous decision.
Johnson, an 11-time UFC champ from Washington state, got a warm reception from the fans in Colorado himself, but even during his fight, fans continued to chant Rodtang’s name.
The American MMA champion, who defeated Rodtang by submission in a special rules clash last year, was not surprised by the welcome his former foe received.
“I heard the fans chanting his name when I was in the back,” Johnson, who shared the stage with the Muay Thai king at the ONE Fight Night 10 post-fight press conference, told the media. “Rodtang is a huge star here.
“He’s a superstar. You put Rodtang out there, Rodtang is going to do his thing for millions of fans.”
Having successfully defended his belt against Tabares, Rodtang can look forward to some huge fights, most notably a bid for a second title against ONE’s bantamweight Muay Thai champ Jonathan Haggerty, whom he’s beaten twice before at flyweight, and a clash with Japanese kickboxing star Takeru Segawa, who recently signed with ONE to significant fanfare.
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Fans are also clamouring to see Rodtang take on his fellow Thai Superlek Kiatmoo9, ONE’s flyweight kickboxing champ, though that is clearly not at the top of the Muay Thai star’s to-do list.
“It’s up to [ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong], but I want to fight Haggerty, I want to fight Takeru, I want to fight them all,” Rodtang told the Post at the post-fight press conference.
“I’m willing to fight anybody, including Superlek, but I just think, from a Thailand perspective, Superlek is a Muay Thai athlete holding the kickboxing belt, I hold the Muay Thai belt – it’s just better for Thailand [for us both to have belts].
“I’m willing to fight anybody, but I really want to fight Haggerty and Takeru right now.”
