Rodtang admits he was initially on the fence about fighting his role model Nong-O: “We always respect one another”

Rodtang Jitmuangnon said he has a great relationship with Nong-O Hama and has high regard for the veteran fighter. That is why it took him some time before agreeing they face off in a title clash.

The Thai superstars battle for the vacant flyweight Muay Thai world title at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on Nov. 16. It is one of seven world title matches set to go down at the stacked offering happening at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

In an interview with ONE Championship, 'The Iron Man' spoke about the relationship he has with Nong-O and how initially he was reluctant to agree to fight him.

Rodtang said:

"I [didn’t] want to fight him from the start. When I fought in Singapore, we met [for the first time], and we had a meal together. We were together in every fight while I was in Singapore. Every time we meet, we always respect one another. I have said that I never want to fight with Nong-O."

The ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title was long in the possession of Rodtang until he was stripped of it. The Thai star missed weight for his defense against British challenger Jacob Smith in November last year.

The match still pushed through, with Smith the lone eligible to win. But the Jitmuangnon Gym standout made sure the belt remained vacant by taking the contest convincingly via unanimous decision.

At ONE 173, Nong-O, meanwhile, seeks to win another world title after ruling the bantamweight Muay Thai lane from 2019 to 2023.

For more information and updates on ONE 173, follow Sportskeeda MMA and ONE Championship.

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Jonathan Haggerty has Rodtang beating Nong-O at ONE 173

ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Haggerty sees Rodtang defeating Nong-O in their scheduled flyweight Muay Thai world title clash at ONE 173.

'The General' made his pick known in an interview with the South China Morning Post, citing how the aura of invincibility of Nong-O has seemingly faded in the past couple of years, making it harder for him to top Rodtang.

Haggerty said:

“Ah, it's a tough one, that one. Like my dad said, Nong-O is a bigger version of Rodtang. That’s what he said. He said it back when I didn’t beat him. So now that Nong-O’s been beaten, I just can't see him getting past Rodtang.”

Haggerty took the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title from Nong-O in April 2023, winning by knockout in the opening round. Since then, the Thai legend has gone up and down in his campaign.

The British champion is also featured at ONE 173, challenging bantamweight Muay Thai king Nabil Anane for the belt and becoming a double ONE world champion again.