Rodtang to Defend ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title Against Jacob Smith at ONE 169: Atlanta

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ONE Championship continues to make waves in the U.S. by bringing its biggest stars to the West, and the organization isn't slowing down. It just added a fourth World Title bout to ONE 169: Atlanta on 9 November.

The historic card will now feature ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon, who defends his crown in a pivotal rematch against #3-ranked Jacob Smith in Atlanta, Georgia's State Farm Arena.

The pair's first encounter came at ONE 157 in May 2022. They clashed in the quarterfinals of the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix and put on a memorable showing across three rounds.

Rodtang was already on top of the world as king of the division. But he was further cementing himself as a true all-time great by storming through the competition in both Muay Thai and kickboxing - going unbeaten in both sports.

On the opposing side, ONE 157 marked Smith's promotional debut. Stepping inside the Circle is no small matter, but doing so against "The Iron Man" made the occasion all that much bigger. And he arrived with plenty of hype following a destructive run on the U.K. circuit.

Ultimately, Smith lost a unanimous decision to Rodtang on that night. But he showed his true colors on the world stage to let people know he's in the conversation as one of the best flyweight punchers around.

Smith had been pining for another chance at Rodtang following the defeat. But to make that happen, he had to get back in the win column, and a prolific knockout of Walter Goncalves at ONE Fight Night 17 last December was enough to get back on the Thai great's radar.

Now, Rodtang has deemed Smith worthy of a rematch. And to make matters sweeter for the Liverpudlian striker, "The Iron Man's" gold is on the line at ONE 169: Atlanta.

Smith will be eager to change both his and his family's life with a monumental victory over Rodtang. And he certainly has the power to prove it. But when it matters most, competitors don't come any tougher than the ONE flyweight Muay Thai king.

Rodtang's last victory came on Thai soil at ONE 167 in June. There, he defeated Denis Puric by unanimous decision. Now he wants to remind fans why he's one of the greatest strikers in the world at ONE 169 on 9 November.