‘I Want To Be A Good Father’ – Rodtang Finds New Inspiration Ahead Of Super-Fight With Takeru At ONE 172

Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon will be carrying an extra bit of motivation into his monumental flyweight kickboxing super-fight against Takeru Segawa in the main event of ONE 172.

Taking place this Sunday, March 23, that massive pay-per-view showdown at Saitama Super Arena in Japan will be Rodtang’s first fight as an expectant father.

Late last year, the Thai superstar and his wife, Aida, announced they had a child on the way, and in January, they revealed it will be a boy.

Now in his final preparations for one of the biggest kickboxing bouts in history, Rodtang spoke to onefc.com about soon becoming a father:

“My son motivates me a lot. I’m going to fight for the sake of my son in this fight with Takeru.”

Rodtang plans to put the same amount of effort and dedication into being a father as he has to become a global superstar and one of the planet’s best pound-for-pound strikers.

He hopes to be a constant presence in his son’s life, supporting him in any way he can.

At the same time, he doesn’t want to spoil his child – and instead aims to nurture his son’s self-confidence, work ethic, and ability to solve problems on his own:

“I want to be a good father. I want my son to remember how hard his dad worked to get to where he is today. I will be a good example for him, but I will not give him too easy of a life.

“I may give him money, but I will not let him live too comfortably. I want him to learn to fight and do things by himself, with me helping him from a distance.”

Like every other new parent, Rodtang can’t stop thinking about what the future holds and about the person his son will become.

Of course, he’s also curious if his child will follow in his footsteps and pursue martial arts as a career:

“I’m so excited. I’m waiting to see if he’ll become a boxer like me.”

Rodtang Reveals The Inspiration For His Son’s Name

While Rodtang Jitmuangnon is eager to train his son in “the art of eight limbs,” he is also passionate about other sports.

As an avid soccer fan who plays the game during his downtime, the Thai revealed that he will name his child after one of that sport’s most iconic figures:

“I plan to teach him Muay Thai myself. I’ll impart all my knowledge to him. I am naming him Nong Zlatan because I admire Zlatan Ibrahimovic (a famous Swedish soccer player). That’s why I chose this name for my son.”

Despite the grand plans for his son to become a Muay Thai superstar, Rodtang said that, above all, he wants his son to be fulfilled.

Whether that means fighting in Muay Thai or not, he’ll support him no matter what:

“Of course, if he wants to learn Muay Thai, I will teach him myself. I would be very happy if he chose to be a Muay Thai fighter like me. But it’s up to him. Let him do whatever makes him happy, and I will be happy for him, too.”