Demetrious Johnson doesn’t suppose we’ll ever see Muay Thai sensation Rodtang make the transfer to MMA.
‘Mighty Mouse’ had the chance to share the cage with Rodtang below the ONE Championship banner, competing in opposition to the previous ONE flyweight Muay Thai world titleholder at ONE X — the promotion’s Tenth-anniversary extravaganza — in March 2022.
It was ONE’s first foray into mixed-rules matchups with every spherical alternating between Muay Thai and MMA guidelines. Johnson finally gained the competition through a rear-naked choke within the second stanza after weathering an early storm from ‘The Iron Man’ in spherical one.
Lately, Johnson spent a while coaching with Rodtang at his fitness center in Bangkok and provided some perception into whether or not or not we’ll ever see the Thai celebrity leap head-first into combined martial arts.
“I got the opportunity to go to his gym and start off with sparring, then do some pad work, and then do some clinch work… He wants to do MMA, but I think his heart and soul is in Muay Thai and kickboxing,” Johnson stated throughout an look on the JAXXON Podcast with Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson.
Rodtang faces Takeru at ONE 172 in Japan
Contemplating Rodtang is barely 27 years previous, there’s loads of time for him to check his mettle in MMA. However first, ‘The Iron Man’ is concentrated on his long-awaited conflict with former three-division Okay-1 champion Takeru Segawa.
The 2 will headline ONE 172 this Sunday (March 23) when ONE Championship heads to the long-lasting Saitama Tremendous Enviornment in Japan for one of many largest playing cards within the promotion’s historical past. Along with 5 large ONE world title fights, the cardboard might be headlined by Rodtang and Takeru’s flyweight kickboxing superfight.
ONE 172 airs stay on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.
