ONE Championship: Rodtang and Stamp Fairtex agree Lumpinee events will ‘open doors’ for fighters in Thailand

Fighters in Thailand ‘lack a lot of support’ according to flyweight Muay Thai champ Rodtang, but ONE’s Lumpinee events will give them ‘a chance’

MMA contender Stamp sees Bangkok events as a path to ‘the main event of ONE Championship’ for local fighters

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Rodtang Jitmuangnon walks to the Circle before a unanimous decision victory over Joseph Lasiri at ONE on Prime Video 4 in November. Photos: ONE Championship.

Published: 12:44am, 8 Jan 2023

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Rodtang Jitmuangnon knows how difficult it is to make it as a professional fighter in Thailand, but views ONE Championship’s upcoming events at the famed Lumpinee Stadium as a boon for fighters in the country.

ONE is set to stage 52 events in the Bangkok Stadium, which has hosted some of the most important fights in Muay Thai history, before the year is out. The line-up for the first event, set for January 20, is already official, but the remaining cards have yet to be booked, and the promotion is bound to sign dozens of local fighters as it looks to fill them.

Rodtang, ONE’s long time flyweight Muay Thai champion and a huge star in his native Thailand, sees the situation as a massive opportunity in a country where fighters often struggle to get by.

“I’m very happy that ONE Lumpinee is hosting events in Thailand,” the 25-year-old, who has been fighting since he was 10, told the Post. “Thai boxers lack a lot of support. It’s not like the Olympics, where [athletes get] a lot of support from the government. Thai boxers just have to go out there and fight to get support.”