ONE Championship: Superlek misses weight for Rodtang title bout at Friday Fights 34

Superlek comes in 5lbs heavy for main event, and Rodtang’s Muay Thai title will now no longer be on the line in Bangkok
Rodtang accepts catchweight bout ‘to show he’s the best’ and ‘does not want world to miss opportunity to see it’

ONE Championship

Nicolas Atkinin Bangkok

Published: 4:08pm, 21 Sep 2023

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A spanner was thrown into the works for Friday’s blockbuster ONE Championship flyweight Muay Thai title main event between Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Superlek Kiatmookao after the challenger missed weight.

Billed by ONE chairman and CEO Chatri as “the biggest fight in Muay Thai in 50 years”, there will no longer be a belt on the line at Friday Fights 34, after Superlek came in 5lbs heavy at Thursday’s official weigh-ins and hydration tests.

ONE officials announced the bout will now be a three-round super fight, contested at a 140lbs catchweight at Lumpinee Stadium.

“The Iron Man” Rodtang said he accepted the fight even though his opponent missed by such a big margin as he still wants to show he’s the best in the world. He added that he does not want the world and Thailand to miss this opportunity to watch the fight.

“In the end it’s a fighter’s responsibility to make weight, they have to be professional – especially if they are a world champion,” Prem Fairtex, managing director of ONE Championship Thailand, told the Post.

Superlek at the ONE Fight Night 12 ceremonial weigh ins in Bangkok.

“It’s something beyond our control, the person responsible is the fighter. This time, Rodtang made weight easily and hydration easily.

“So we are happy he’s able to be very professional and he’s willing to go and fight with Superlek even at a catchweight, because this is the most important fight that everybody in the whole world wants to see.”

ONE: Superbon out of Tawanchai title fight in Bangkok

All 20 fighters on the ONE Friday Fights 34 card weighed in on Thursday morning at the event venue in the Thai capital. Media were not allowed to be present at the weigh-ins or the face-offs, which is the promotion’s protocol for Friday Fights cards, unlike ONE Fight Night events.

Superlek passed his hydration test at 1.0248 – the threshold is 1.0250 – but weighed in at 140lbs on the dot. Rodtang came in well under the 135lbs limit, at 134.4lbs, and then returned a hydration test sample reading of 1.0172.

“Maybe Superlek has to go back to see what he did wrong with his diet or his training, or if this is the weight class he still wants to fight in,” Prem added. “I think he has to decide this himself – if he still wants to compete with us, he might have to change his nutrition.”

Superlek celebrates his win over Tagir Khalilov at ONE Fight Night 12.

Officials said the other nine fights on the card are all set to go on Friday, with no other fighters missing weight.

“I still think its going to be an incredible event,” Prem added. “Everyone wants to see Rodtang and Superlek bang it out. I think it’s still full of excitement.

“Rodtang still wants to show everyone – I just got off phone with him – he said he will give 100 per cent. Everyone is buying the tickets, everyone is going to be watching this main event. So he said he cannot go easy – he has to perform at his usual standard, or maybe even better.”

Both Superlek and Rodtang have struggled with their weight over the past 12 months, with each enduring multiple scale fails.

Rodtang Jitmuangnon greets the fans as he heads to the cage at ONE Fight Night 10 in Denver.

The 26-year-old Rodtang missed the mark in January for a kickboxing fight with Jiduo Yibu, and did not give a hydration sample in August, withdrawing from his flyweight Muay Thai grand prix semi-final against Savvas Michael.

But he said a had learned a new “technique” from ONE flyweight submission grappling champion Mikey Musumeci, will has been training with him in Thailand this month, to pass his checks for his last title defence in May, and now this week’s clash, without any issues.

“The Kicking Machine” Superlek, on the other hand, continues to have problems after he missed weight for July’s ONE Fight Night 12 main event against Tagir Khalilov, who reacted angrily on Instagram after the Thai’s latest miss.

“B*******. He again didn’t make the weight, same when he fought with me. Also after our fight he was 69kg, I was 62. Disrespect for our organisation,” the Russian wrote.

Superlek stands over Tagir Khalilov after knocking him down at ONE Fight Night 12.

Superlek, 27, and his Muay Thai grand prix final opponent Panpayak Jitmuangnon both missed weight last December, too, with ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong saying they “botched” their shots at glory.

The Post understands Superlek was also close to missing weight before his first-round TKO win over Nabil Anane in June.

Prem did not commit when asked if ONE matchmakers would rebook the fight, possibly for Superlek’s flyweight kickboxing title, which Rodtang had been set to challenge for in March before withdrawing injured when the bout was first booked.

“Anything could happen after this fight,” Prem said. “Maybe it can be another Muay Thai title defence for Rodtang, or Rodtang will go for his kickboxing belt. After this fight we will go back and discuss.”

Rodtang Jitmuangnon celebrates after his victory at ONE Fight Night 10 in Denver.

Superlek’s weight miss on Thursday continued a recent run of bad luck for ONE with big-name fights.

Chatri confirmed on Wednesday that Superbon Singha Mawynn had withdrawn injured from October 7’s title clash against featherweight Muay Thai champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai.

Fabricio Andrade and Jonathan Haggerty’s battle for the vacant ONE bantamweight kickboxing title was also pushed back a month from the same card to November.

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