On Sunday, 7 August, Chatri Sityodtong announced that ONE Championship will be putting together the Muay Thai fight that fans have been waiting years to see.
Next month on Friday, September 22, ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon puts his belt on the line against ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE Lumpinee 34 at Lumpinee Stadium — according to the ONE CEO’s Facebook post.
The two flyweight giants were supposed to meet in March of this year, but Rodtang withdrew due to injury.
When that happened, two rumors began circulating. The first was that the stocky Thai was afraid he’d lose to Superlek. The second was that ONE was protecting its biggest star.
Rodtang went on record to say that he’d fight Superlek, just not yet. He wanted Thais to hold all the belts in ONE instead of fighting each other for them.
Rodtang and Superlek fight: how we got here
Rodtang and Superlek path’s have yet to cross in and outside of ONE, but they finally will at Lumpinee Stadium on September 22.
“The Iron Man” has been an unstoppable force in ONE, losing only once in 15 fights — and that was the mixed rules bout he had with Demetrious Johnson.
The Thai has faced some criticism, however. Many people think he’s not on par with the more technically sound Superlek.
For example, Rodtang went the distance with both Walter Goncalves and Tagir Khalilov, winning only by split decision. When Superlek fought both of those guys, he won by first-round KO and second-round KO, respectively.
Superlek also beat Danial Williams by third-round KO, whereas Rodtang beat Williams by unanimous decision.
Despite that, Rodtang has managed to stay on top of the flyweight Muay Thai division since 2019, the year in which he won the flyweight world title.
Superlek won his kickboxing belt at the start of the year and has defended it twice. However, it was his last showing against Khalilov — which fell under Muay Thai rules — where Superlek truly shined most.
It was evident that he’s been adapting his Muay Thai style to fit the ONE format. So Rodtang better take his compatriot serious.
