ONE on Prime Video 1: Rodtang Jitmuangnon is the fighter to watch
By Alec Arritola
At just 25 years old, Rodtang Jitmuangnon is a Muay Thai legend with professional Mixed Martial Arts aspirations.
On Friday, Aug. 26, ONE Championship and Amazon Prime Video Sports will kick off the first event of their multi-year North American broadcast agreement for ONE on Prime Video 1: Adriano Moraes vs. Demetrious Johnson 2.
One fighter to keep an eye on is Rodtang Jitmuangnon, who many consider the best pound-for-pound Muay Thai fighter on the planet.
His opponent for the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix semifinals will be Cypriot fighter Savvas “The Baby Face Killer” Michael, who Jitmuangnon has defeated twice in the past.
Born in Pa Phayom, Thailand, “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon took up Muay Thai at the age of eight in an attempt to create additional income for his family. At just 14 years old, Jitmuangnon relocated to Bangkok to train with the Jitmuangnon/Yokkao team. After amassing over 300 Muay-Thai bouts, Jitmuangnon signed with ONE Championship in 2018.
With over 270 Muay Thai wins, Jitmuangnon is prepared to move on to pro MMA
Jitmuangnon quickly ascended to stardom in ONE Championsip. With wins over Jonathan Haggerty, Walter Goncalves, Petchdam Petchyindee, and Kaonar P.K. Saenchai, Jitmuangnon captured and defended the ONE flyweight Muay Thai title numerous times.
While actively competing in Muay Thai bouts, Jitmuangnon accepted a special-rules fight against former UFC flyweight champion and ONE Flyweight Grand-Prix Champion Demetrious Johnson. The fight was set for rounds one and three to be under the ONE Muay Thai ruleset, while rounds two and four would be under ONE MMA rules. On March 26, 2022, Jitmuangnon was defeated by “Mighty Mouse” in the second round via a rear-naked choke submission.
Despite his special-rules loss to the legendary Johnson, Jitmuangnon was not discouraged and has since voiced his interest in competing in professional mixed martial arts.
Following the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix, Jitmuangnon’s focus will shift
“This is not my last Muay Thai fight,” Jitmuangnon told MMA Underground. “Depending on the promoters, they might want me to fight in Muay Thai matches in the future. I may need to defend my world championship belt, but I will focus on MMA training after this. There is no ‘last time’ for me in Muay Thai in the near future.”
There is no doubt about Jitmuangnon’s potential in MMA. Just take UFC & Bellator legend Chael Sonnen’s word for it. In a recent episode of his “Beyond the Fight” series, Sonnen said that he believes that Jitmuangnon is “as good of a striker as you’re going to come across.”
Despite the outcome of the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix, be sure to keep an eye on the young legend Jitmuangnon, as he prepares to embark on his professional MMA journey.
Next. Why you should be thankful for ONE Championship this week. dark