ONE Championship: Rodtang wants to train MMA with Demetrious Johnson after another Muay Thai masterclass
- Rodtang defends his flyweight Muay Thai title with lopsided win over Joseph Lasiri at ONE on Prime Video 4 on Saturday in Singapore
- Thai striker is once again considering a move to mixed martial arts, and is interested in training with his old foe Johnson to prepare
ONE Championship Muay Thai star Rodtang Jitmuangnon is still hoping to transition into MMA in the future, and he is willing to enlist the help of an old foe to make it happen.
The Thai, who holds ONE’s flyweight Muay Thai belt, was back in action in the co-headliner of ONE on Prime Video 4 on Saturday in Singapore, where he defended his title with a dominant decision victory over strawweight champion Joseph Lasiri.
After the win, he is once again looking to other combat sports disciplines in search of new challenges.
“After I’m satisfied [with my Muay Thai career], I will maybe go after the kickboxing title, and after that, MMA,” the 25-year-old told the Post soon after his win.
Rodtang has never competed in an MMA bout, but he does have some experience with the sport, having partaken in a special rules clash with reigning ONE flyweight MMA champ Demetrious Johnson at ONE X this past March.
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The fight alternated between Muay Thai and MMA rules, round-by-round, starting with the former. Rodtang was expectedly successful in the first round, but was promptly taken down and submitted in round two.
Now that his fight with Johnson is in the past, he is interested in training with his old rival as he prepares to move into MMA.
“Training with him sounds great, because he’s a legend and I really look up to him,” he said. “He’s really well-rounded with his ground game.
“If he’s willing to train with me, of course there’s a chance.”
Rodtang’s win over Lasiri marked his fourth defence of the ONE flyweight Muay Thai belt. The win drove fans inside Singapore Indoor Stadium into a frenzy of excitement, but the Thai is a bit disappointed with the fight – and did not hesitate to place the blame squarely on his opponent’s shoulders.
“It was great to be able to defend the world title again, however I expected more from Lasiri,” he said. “He was running away from me.
“I was a little bit disappointed.
“No matter if I win or lose, I just want to have fun and make sure the fans enjoy the match.”
