ONE 167: 'Watch And Enjoy The Spectacle' - Denis Puric Promises Insane Scrap With Rodtang Jitmuangnon

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When Denis Puric signed with ONE Championship, his primary goal was to land a fight with ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon. And after earning wins in back-to-back barnburners, "The Bosnian Menace" finally gets his wish.

The 39-year-old meets Rodtang at ONE 167 on Saturday, 8 June, inside Bangkok, Thailand's Impact Arena. While Puric has dreamed of this, the only difference is that the bout will be a non-title flyweight kickboxing bout. But that doesn't faze Puric. In fact, he believes it works in his favor.

The #2-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender backs up those claims with consecutive victories in "the art of eight limbs." Puric knocked out Vietnamese striking specialist Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat in December 2023.

He followed that up with a decision win on his birthday at ONE Fight Night 21 this past April over deadly British knockout artist Jacob Smith, who went the distance with Rodtang in 2022.

Puric took to the mic post-fight to call out Rodtang, and he's sure he can get the job done against one of Thailand's greatest stars in the biggest fight of his life next month.

"I'm excited, that's all I'm saying. I didn't mind it when I learned it was kickboxing, three rounds. Buddy, I'm gonna make a fool out of him," Puric said.

"It's my type of fight. The way he fights, comes forward, aggressive, he likes to get into these brawls - that's my kind of fight, man. And when I saw it, it reminded me of me, and I'm just like, 'I need to go and fight this guy.'"

Rodtang has been out of action since ONE Friday Fights 34 in September last year due to injury, which forced him to withdraw from his super-fight with Japan's Takeru Segawa this past January.

What's made the Thai a household name is his ruthless Muay Thai acumen. On top of that, Rodtang's ability to electrify the crowd and force his opponents to make fateful errors has made him a magnetic force in ONE Championship.

Once "The Iron Man" puts on display his charismatic nature, the end is usually near for many of his opponents. But Puric believes it won't work out well for Rodtang should he try these same antics after a long layoff.

"He's gonna get caught because you know I got them counters, boy, and I'm not like these other guys he's been getting hit by. He's not gonna be doing this (punches his own face) with me. Do it, let's go, and I'll be kicking your jaw right out," Puric said.

"I got every tool in the game. I got angles. I got f****** hands for days. There's no clinch, no elbows? Come on. Watch and enjoy the spectacle. It's gonna be amazing. It's gonna be wonderful. It's time for a new king."