‘I Feel Relieved Right Now’ – Rodtang Reflects On Victory Over Denis Puric After Emotional Fight Week
Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon had to ride an emotional roller coaster during ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II on Prime Video fight week.
Returning from a long injury layoff to face Denis “The Bosnian Menace” Puric in a flyweight kickboxing clash on June 7, “The Iron Man” couldn’t wait to step back into the Circle.
However, he missed weight the day before, meaning their contest at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, had to be contested at a catchweight of 141.25 pounds.
As well as being disappointed personally, the reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion felt plenty of anger from fans – and admits it had an impact.
Rodtang told onefc.com after his unanimous decision victory:
“I feel relieved right now. On the day that I missed weight, I felt bad for myself, and there was heavy drama and harsh comments online. I couldn’t even pick up my phone to check my phone again. But the comments went too far. They were aimed at the people that I love and the people around me.”
Despite Rodtang’s incredible resume and his status as one of the biggest stars in combat sports today, some were quick to blame his issues on a lack of commitment.
Taking full responsibility for missing the flyweight limit by a 6.5-pound margin, the Thai megastar is convinced it’s still the right division for him and that he can rectify the mistakes.
At the same time, he thinks people should not take his social media accounts as a training log, because even when he’s not posting about it, he’s dedicated to performing at the best of his abilities.
The 26-year-old said:
“About social media, a lot of people talked about how I didn’t train or anything like that. When I’m training, I’m focused on that. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to show everyone what I’m training each day or what I’m eating each day. It’s really irrelevant.”
Rodtang Wants Takeru Next; Chatri Sityodtong Concurs
With his 15th ONE victory secured and another successful outing in the kickboxing ranks in the rearview, Rodtang Jitmuangnon is eager to reschedule the colossal fight with Takeru Segawa that was postponed earlier this year.
Following his thrilling three-round victory over Denis Puric last Friday, Rodtang feels ready to go toe-to-toe with the Japanese superstar:
“Now that I’m back and fighting again, I want to fight Takeru. Takeru, let’s go!”
It’s certainly a matchup that striking fans are desperate to see, and ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodyong is also committed to making it happen before the year is out.
Addressing the press after Rodtang’s victory, Sityodtyong said:
“I want to do Rodtang vs. Takeru. 100 percent. I want to do that fight this year. Maybe in Japan, let’s see. Let’s see.
“I need to sit down with Rodtang, and I need to sit down and talk with Takeru to see if and when they’re gonna fight. Or actually, when they’re gonna fight. It’s such a huge fight for them, and it will definitely be one of the biggest fights in Japan’s history, so we want to do that ideally in Japan. But again, there’s a lot of moving parts.”
