ONE Championship: "Not Scary at All" - Rodtang Responds to John Lineker's Call Out

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Reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon's name is never left alone for long. And this past week, he received another callout at the hands of former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John Lineker.

"Hands of Stone" scored his second consecutive knockout in Muay Thai on Saturday, 5 October, at ONE Fight Night 25. He finished Russian star Alexey Balyko in the first round before taking aim at "The Iron Man."

But everybody wants to fight Rodtang these days. And this is not the Thai great's first rodeo. While he acknowledges the Brazilian's punching power, Rodtang is unfazed by the persistent threats.

"For me, from a fighter's perspective, he's not scary at all. Only his punches are dangerous," he said. "But I understand his style. Because he's short, he can't kick effectively. He has to walk in to punch. But his punches are deadly. He can kill a buffalo with his punch. But if I use my footwork, he might not hit me at all."

Many have called Rodtang out over the years. As one of the most popular fighters of this era, everybody wants a piece of him. But more often than not, those who call him out fail to live up to their promises.

So if Lineker wants a piece of "The Iron Man," Rodtang believes the former bantamweight MMA king must come into his backyard if he wants to make the fight come to fruition.

"He can call everyone out. I'm ready to fight everyone, but in the same or close to my division," he said. "It would be fair if he comes down to me, maybe a 140-pound catchweight or 135 pounds."

If Lineker wants to get his hands on Rodtang, he's going to have to wait some time though. The Thai superstar returns at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Saturday, 9 November, when he defends his Muay Thai crown against Jacob Smith in an intriguing rematch from 2022.