SUMMARY
- Rodtang Jitmuangnon is the Flyweight Muay Thai Champion of ONE Championship.
- The Thai megastar has inspired many rising fighters to pursue their dreams.
ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon is an inspiration to a whole new generation of Thai athletes, according to another ONE Championship fighter.
Like many Muay Thai fighters, “The Iron Man” grew up poor in rural Thailand and fought from a young age to be able to help his family with money. The now-26-year-old went on to carve out a successful career on the grueling Bangkok stadium circuit, but it was when he made the jump to ONE in 2018 that his career really exploded.
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Rodtang won the flyweight Muay Thai strap the following year and his ultra-aggressive fighting style has seen him become one of the most recognizable faces in the sport. His rise from poverty to global fame has given hope to other Thai kids, according to another ONE Championship athlete.
Thongpoon PK Saenchai’s rise to ONE Championship inspired by Rodtang Jitmuangnon
Rising Muay Thai star Thongpoon PK Saenchai has said that he looks up to Rodtang Jitmuangnon in his own career. The recent ONE debutant told SCMP MMA in an interview that the Jitmuangnon Gym representative shows many qualities that budding athletes should have.
“My idol is Rodtang [because] he is a persistent person like me,” Thongpoon said. “The most important thing is his persistence and effort. And he is a nice guy, friendly with everyone. He is my role model in life.”
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Thongpoon reeled off three victories on ONE’s Friday Fights platform to earn a six-figure contract with the promotion in 2023. The 26-year-old hopes that, like Rodtang before him, he can also use his career to inspire the people of Thailand.
“For people who look at me as a hero, I want you guys to be persistent and try hard like me,” he said. “Just remember: focus, try hard, and be patient. Your efforts will not be wasted.”
Thongpoon fell to defeat in his main roster ONE debut last month against British star Ellis Badr Barboza. Rodtang, for his part, is currently sidelined with a hand injury that hampered his ONE 165 main event showdown with Japanese kickboxing superstar Takeru Segawa. His place has been taken by ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 in the January 28 headliner.
