Two and a half years on from his first bout with Muay Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon, British striking ace Jacob Smith says he’s a completely different fighter heading into their rematch.
Smith and Rodtang will face off for the second time at ONE 169 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. And, in the spiritual home of Muay Thai in Thailand, Smith said he’s ready to show just how much he’s evolved by defeating the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion and putting himself on top of the Muay Thai world.
Ahead of fight night in Bangkok, Smith sat down for a Q&A session with ONE’s PR team, where he shared his thoughts ahead of the November 9 rematch.
What do you recall about your first fight with Rodtang?
I remember being super confident going into it. I truly believed in myself, just like I always do. I just feel like he was technically too good that night. There was nothing that surprised me in terms of physicality. I just don’t think I respected how good his technical powers are. That’s the main lesson I learned.
How close do you think it was? How much better do you think you could have done with a full fight camp?
It was an easy win for him last time. I didn’t quite understand how good he was until I got in there with him. He was a step or two ahead of me throughout it all. It’s as simple as that. Being brutally honest, I don’t think it was close at all last time. I’m not going to make any excuses about it. I don’t personally think I could’ve done any more on that day. Don’t forget, this was two years ago. It was my first fight in ONE Championship. It
was my first fight in 4-ounce gloves. Not only was it my first fight at the elite level, it was my first fight at the elite level against the most elite Muay Thai fighter you can get, so it was tough.
Your first fight with him, was there any sense of starstruck or jitters around fighting him in your ONE debut?
Zero. I don’t [have any] this time either. However popular he is, however good he is, it means absolutely nothing to me at all this time.
Is it a fight you’ve watched back much?
After it initially, I watched it back a lot. But two years later, I don’t think there’s any relevance in watching it back. We have both evolved and improved since then. Back then, I was just relying on how tough I was, standing and trading with him, which fell right into his trap. And I was waiting for him to start fighting me the way he fights everyone else. The taunts and everything, but he didn’t. He didn’t fight me like that at all. He fought me at a much more technical rate, whereas I was expecting him to have it out for me and bang his gloves together, y’know, all the hits. But he didn’t do that to me.
What did you learn from that fight? What did you have success with?
I don’t want to go too much into detail, but I’ve taken many things from that fight and implemented it into my style now and moving forward. This is why I don’t just feel like I’m going to have more success with him this time, I feel like I’m going to beat him this time.
What do you think you can do better now?
For one, I can’t just stand in front of people in 4-ounce gloves as much as I want to and love to. Secondly, I can’t use the traditional long guard that’s used in normal Muay Thai a lot. Fighting in these small gloves is worlds apart from fighting in 8-ounce gloves. There are small moments where it may work, but that’s the main takeaway in this game now. It’s kind of like learning a whole new defensive system. I’ve learned you have to use your feet and move them a lot more than just relying on your hands. I can do everything better now. I’m better in every way now. I’m as tough as I always have been. But my fight IQ is better, and my
overall skills have improved tenfold. On top of that, I’ve had a lot more activity in ONE since then. I’ve been in there several times now, so I’m much more used to it, and I’m ready for this.
What’s your approach in this fight? Will you go full steam ahead?
All I’m going to say on that is that you can expect to see the same rough, tough Jacob Smith with better fight IQ and more control of my emotions. I’m going to keep them in check this time. Sometimes I get drawn into a scrap too easily, whereas this time, I’m not going to. I’m going to remain smart and conserved. This time, you’re fighting for the belt, too.
What extra motivation and changes has this instilled?
Absolutely zero has changed because I’m a fighter. If a belt is going to give you extra motivation to get up in the morning when you normally wouldn’t, I don’t think fighting is for you. I’m fighting because I’m a f**king fighter, and I want to win every single fight I’m in. There’s no extra motivation needed. Regardless of whether I’m fighting for a f**king McDonald’s Happy Meal or whether I’m fighting for the ONE Championship World Title, is irrelevant. I get up in the morning because I’m a f**king fighter and because I want to win every fight I’m in! The fight itself, to accomplish gaining the world title, is unbelievable. It could change my children’s lives. It’s what I wake up every day thinking about. But it doesn’t change how hard I train. I train as hard as I can no matter what’s in front of me.
Of course, this is five rounds. What’s your prediction?
Let’s just see how the fight plays out. I feel like five rounds favors me. I’m very fit, and I always come on strong towards the later rounds. I’m sure Rodtang is the same, but all I know is I’m going into this fight to win – 100 per cent. How that comes, who knows. If I see an opening, then I’m going to f**king go for it. But if not,
I’m going to stick to the plan and get the job done. I’m coming for the bonus every fight I’m in. Sometimes, that’s to my detriment because I’m an emotional and aggressive fighter. But I’m going to channel all that into becoming world champion.
