Rodtang Vs. Puric, Hirata Vs. Souza Added To Massive ONE 167 Fight Card On June 7
ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga on Prime Video has been strengthened with the addition of two more exciting clashes in U.S. primetime on Friday, June 7.
Thai megastar Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon will face Bosnian-Canadian power puncher Denis “The Bosnian Menace” Puric in a flyweight kickboxing clash, while Japanese fan favorite Itsuki “Android 18” Hirata will duke it out with Brazilian phenom Victoria “Vick” Souza in an atomweight MMA contest.
ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang will make his long-awaited return to the kickboxing ranks in front of his Thai compatriots at the Impact Arena in Bangkok.
“The Iron Man” most recently competed last September at ONE Friday Fights 34, where he suffered his first defeat under striking rules in ONE against flyweight kickboxing king “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9.
That Muay Thai battle wasn’t for Rodtang’s gold because the challenger missed weight, but the pair still put on an incredible showing in one of 2023’s most thrilling matchups across any discipline.
Rodtang has since been on the sidelines recovering from a hand injury suffered in training, and he’s ready to remind the world why he’s considered one of the best pound-for-pound strikers on the planet.
For Puric, this is a dream come true. “The Bosnian Menace” has called for a clash with Rodtang since he first stepped into the world’s largest martial arts organization.
Following his decision win over then-#2-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Jacob Smith on April 5, the veteran scrapper earned the #2 ranking himself and doubled down on his callout.
Now, Puric’s wish has been granted, and his aggressive style makes him the perfect matchup for “The Iron Man” if they are intent on thrilling the crowd for three rounds.
Meanwhile, Hirata is determined to get back to winning ways after hitting a rough patch.
The Japanese athlete got off to a flying start in ONE with four consecutive victories, but she’s since lost three of her last four – albeit against some of the division’s top-ranked competitors.
“Android 18” has invested in her career by moving her training camps to the United States, and she wants to show the fruits of her labor with success in the Circle.
Souza is also eager to turn her fortunes around after going 1-2 in ONE to date, and she knows this is a big opportunity.
Hirata’s popularity means there will be a lot of eyeballs on their clash in U.S. primetime, so the Brazilian has the chance to convert some new fans and rise in the atomweight MMA division if she’s successful on June 7.
In the main and co-main event slots, Stamp Fairtex will defend her ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Title against former training partner Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga, and Tawanchai PK Saenchai will put his ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title on the line against Thai knockout artist “Smokin” Jo Nattawut.
Stay tuned to onefc.com for all the updates on ONE 167.
