Former longtime ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon believes his and Japanese striking ace Takeru Segawa’s names have been uttered in the same breath long enough. And now it’s time to find out who the better striker is.
“The Iron Man” is set to meet Takeru in a highly anticipated flyweight kickboxing super-fight in the main event of ONE 172 on Sunday, March 23, inside Japan’s iconic Saitama Super Arena.
The pair were first scheduled to clash at ONE 165 in Tokyo this past January, but the dream bout was put on hold after Rodtang suffered an injury. They have both returned to the ring and excelled in respective bouts since then, though, so the Thai great senses the stars are aligning for ONE 172.
“Takeru came back to the win column, and I also won my last fight too, so I think it’s the right time for both of us to collide. I want to fight Takeru because we had a press conference once, but, unfortunately, I had an injury, and the match had to be canceled,” Rodtang said.
“Now, I think it’s time for us to face each other. I’m more than ready to fight him.”
Though the timing might be perfect, the world will still have to wait with bated breath for a few more months to see if the long-awaited battle will take place. And even if the clock winds down to zero, there may still be one final issue to face.
Rodtang has struggled on the scales and failed to make weight on several occasions recently, which led him to be stripped of the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title ahead of his latest ONE Championship outing against Jacob Smith at ONE 169 last month.
However, “The Iron Man” is focused on righting those wrongs, and he’s confident he’ll hit the mark to ensure everything is perfect for his showdown with Takeru.
“When I finally got the chance to fight with him, I thought I have to overcome every obstacle in my way,” Rodtang said.
“I will make sure I don’t miss it, for sure, because I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to fight with Takeru for a long time.”