Rodtang Eager To Knock Out “Durable” Jacob Smith At ONE 169

Add as a preferred source on Google

ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon will defend his title for the first time in 2024 when he faces the hard-hitting British striker and #3-ranked contender Jacob Smith.

Their rematch happens on Saturday, 9 November, at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug inside Bangkok, Thailand's Lumpinee Stadium. Both fighters engaged in a fierce battle during the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix quarterfinals in 2022. But "The Iron Man's" aggressiveness and all-out attack earned him the victory.

The Thai megastar employed nearly all of his Muay Thai weapons on his English counterpart, but Smith did not give up until the very end. In fact, the 27-year-old titleholder believes his opponent is tough, and this time, he will try his best to knock him out.

"The best weapon for Jacob is his durability. His durability makes him a hard opponent for everyone. I think my speed will give me an advantage over him. In our first fight, I fought him with my speed and agility," Rodtang said.

"I will do my best to knock him out. I wanted to knock him out because I wanted the bonus. But I can't underestimate my opponent because Jacob Smith is tough and durable. With his strong physique, I can't underestimate him."

Rodtang, who holds an astonishing career record of 272-43-10, will leave no stone unturned in his sixth World Title defense. In his last promotional match against Denis Puric, the Jitmuangnon Gym representative missed the weight limit but still won the catchweight kickboxing bout by unanimous decision.

"The Iron Man" is fully aware that if he misses weight in his upcoming fight, he will be stripped of his belt, and he has no intention of letting that happen.

"I will do anything to make sure that I don't make the same mistake again because if I make another mistake, the belt will slip out of my hands." Rodtang said.