One Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon couldn’t be more excited for his compatriot and reigning ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek “The Kicking Machine” Kiatmoo9’s return to action.
Superlek takes on the dangerous Tagir Khalilov in a flyweight Muay Thai bout in the main event of ONE Fight Night 12 this Saturday morning, July 15, inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Rodtang expectas a classic fight between the two. However, he warned his friend about the dangers that Khalilov presents, especially since he’s already faced the Russian and had a hard time dispatching him.
“This fight should be super exciting. Tagir is one of the toughest fighters. His style is similar to mine. He’s not scared to trade weapons with opponents and take risks. He always aims to finish his opponent,” Rodtang said.
“Superlek must watch out for Tagir’s punch. He loves to punch a lot. And his punch is powerful.”
Rodtang believes that both fighters have the ability to finish each other, but he ultimately favors Superlek if his compatriot plays it smart.
Ultimately, “The Iron Man” expects Superlek’s defense and counter punching to hold up in this exciting clash between the two flyweight strikers.
“If Superlek doesn’t try to trade with him too much, he will win this match. But on the other hand, if he decides to press forward and trade with him directly, both of them will equally have a chance to KO the other or get knocked out. It depends on who makes a mistake first,” Rodtang said.
“Superlek can be knocked out by Tagir’s punch. Or Tagir can be knocked out by Superlek’s high kick, elbow, or his counter punch, because Superlek has better defense than Tagir. And of course, I’m rooting for my Thai compatriot. I’ll go for Superlek.”
Rodtang also addressed the possibility of facing Superlek in a battle between two of the best Thai World Champions today – a matchup that has long been a fantasy for fight fans around the world.
While he didn’t shut down the possibility of facing Superlek, Rodtang said that fans will have to wait, noting that he has a different target in mind for now.
“Our paths still haven’t crossed yet. I’m the [ONE Flyweight] Muay Thai World Champion and Superlek is the [ONE Flyweight] Kickboxing World Champion. Both of us have a lot of potential opponents in our division,” he said.
“There’s still no need for us to face each other soon. But in the future, at the right time, our fight will happen. But right now, we both have our own challenges. For me, my targets are [Jonathan] Haggerty and Takeru [Segawa]. And I want all Thai people to hold ONE’s gold in each division.”
