Rodtang Answers Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat, Calls Out Ilias Ennahachi
ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon has just made his intentions very clear.
The 22-year-old Bangkok resident wants to win a title in a second sport, and then he wants to start defending his Muay Thai belt against all-comers.
Rodtang – who is spending time with his girlfriend, ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Stamp Fairtex, and her family in the Rayong province during the COVID-19 pandemic – has been unstoppable ever since joining ONE Super Series in September 2018.
“The Iron Man” has earned seven victories in ONE Championship’s all-striking branch and most recently, he knocked out his rival, Jonathan “The General” Haggerty, in their high-stakes rematch this past January.
But before he defends his belt again, he wants to switch sports and challenge ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Ilias “Tweety” Ennahachi for his crown.
The surging Thai wants to follow his girlfriend’s lead and also become a rare two-sport World Champion in The Home Of Martial Arts. To do that, he needs to beat the Dutch-Moroccan striker.
“My first goal after I defeated Haggerty in our rematch was to challenge Ennahachi for the kickboxing title next,” he states. “I really want that belt. I would love to have World Titles in two sports in ONE Championship, just like what Stamp did.”
- Adrian Mattheis Wants Rematch To Prove He Is Indonesia’s Best
- Pieter Buist Has A List Of Warriors He Wants To Challenge
- 10 Small Changes That Have The Biggest Impact On Your Training
Rodtang may have his eyes on a second piece of gold, but he also knows there is a target on his own back.
Nearly three weeks ago, surging Vietnamese warrior “No.1” Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat expressed his desire to challenge “The Iron Man” for his ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship when the promotion’s 2020 calendar of events resumes again.
Duy Nhat made an instant impact in ONE Super Series. The 31-year-old striker knocked out Azwan Che Wil with only seconds remaining in their match-up last September, and then he followed that up by turning off Yuta Watanabe’s lights with a highlight-reel head kick in November.
The Bangkok native has heard his request and, although he has his eyes on a second piece of gold, he would have no problem defending his crown against Duy Nhat in the future.
“I think he is a good fighter,” the Jitmuangnon Gym representative says. “I think we will meet each other at some point as long as we are still in the same weight class.”
Ultimately, it does not matter if Duy Nhat is the one who is challenging “The Iron Man” or if it is another world-class striker in ONE Super Series.
Rodtang is willing to take on anybody, and he will make it extremely difficult for any contender to take the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title from his grasp.
“If I am still the champion, [I am willing to fight] whoever wants to take the title from me,” he states. “They have to go through me to get it. I will not give it to them easily.”
Read more: Martial Arts Superstars Nail The Bottle Challenge
