Rodtang Has His Eye On ONE Kickboxing Title
ONE flyweight Muay Thai champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon wants to add the kickboxing belt to his trophy cabinet, and his road to becoming a two-sport champion starts on February 26th at ONE: Fists Of Fury.
Rodtang is undefeated in the ONE Super Series, but has only competed in Muay Thai up till now. He is set to make his kickboxing debut however, against Alejandro Rivas at ONE: Fists Of Fury.
Two-Sport World Champion
Speaking to ONE Championship, Rodtang said that if he can become a two-sport champion, it would bring a huge amount of pride to him and his family.
“That is a fighter’s dream,” Rodtang said. “I earned the belt in Muay Thai, so I would like to try kickboxing in order to measure my potential, and to see if I can grab the belt or not. If I can do that, grabbing both belts would be a big pride for me and my family.”
When Rodtang makes the switch to kickboxing, he won’t be able to use his elbows or knees. The 23 year old however, isn’t too worried about it.
“Why does my style fit with kickboxing? I think it’s because I am good at punching and I’m aggressive. I move forward without worrying about anything,” Rodtang explained. “Elbow and knee attacks are not allowed in kickboxing, so I focus on accuracy. Punching and kicking are most important. That makes me think that kickboxing fits with my style.”
Alejandro Rivas
Rivas is a WKPF kickboxing world champion and holds a 20-4 record. Rodtang believes the Spaniard is lightning fast, but plans to neutralise his opponent’s weapon by attacking him right from the word go.
“He is the type of person who can switch from attacking and bring his guard up very fast. He does it very, very fast. And also, his combinations [are sharp], which is my challenge,” Rodtang said. “My plan is trying to stop him from doing what he can do well, so hitting him first immediately with a combo is a good idea. But I cannot do that without planning because, in kickboxing, he can score if his shots land on target, which is different from Muay Thai.”
While Rodtang is looking to get his hand raised on the night, he said a knockout victory would be the icing on the cake.
“I really want to knock him out, regardless of the round,” Rodtang added.
Fighting The Winner Of Ennahachi vs Superlek
ONE: Fists Of Fury will be headlined by the ONE flyweight kickboxing champion Ilias Ennahachi defending his title against Superlek Kiatmoo9. Should he win his fight against Rivas, Rodtang plans to challenge the winner of the main event.
“I’ll just wait to see who the winner will be, and I will challenge that person for the belt,” Rodtang assured. “If my fight goes well, I will bring it to Mr. Chatri [Sityodtong’s] attention. I need to get a win for a chance to challenge the champion.”
Who do you think wins the upcoming kickboxing bout between Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Alejandro Rivas at ONE: Fists Of Fury?
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