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Thai superstars Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Nong-O Hama are set to collide later this month. Both consider it as one of the biggest fights in their careers to date.
The two are featured at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri on Nov. 16. They are to battle for the vacant flyweight Muay Thai world title in the stacked event happening at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
ONE Championship recently ramped up interest in it by dropping the official preview for the fight on YouTube, where Rodtang and Nong-O gave their thoughts on the significance of their title match.
"Nong-O, for me, ever since I signed with ONE Championship, has always been my role model in both Muay Thai and life. He is the role model of role models. He will always have my respect. When our paths cross, we have our duties. I'll need to do my best," said Rodtang, the former flyweight Muay Thai king, of his clash with his senior Nong-O.
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"This is a massive fight. Massive. I have fought hundreds of times. But this is the biggest of my career. Winning the world title would mean so much. Because, first, I get to fight a superstar like Rodtang. And winning a world championship in your late 30s is glorious," Nong-O, the former bantamweight Muay Thai world champion, for his part, shared.
The preview also looked back at both fighters' impressive matches in ONE Championship.
Rodtang's successful defense of the flyweight gold against Mexican challenger Edgar Tabares in May 2023 in the United States is showcased. 'The Iron Man' was in his element, methodical as he steadily tore down his opponent, finishing him off with a well-placed elbow in the second round.
Meanwhile, Nong-O's crushing opening-round TKO victory over Liam Harrison in August 2022 is featured in the preview. The Thai veteran saw his clash with 'Hitman' end abruptly when he broke Harrison's left leg with a powerful kick to secure the win and retain the bantamweight Muay Thai world title he was then holding.
Watch the fight preview below:
Rodtang determined to reclaim flyweight Muay Thai belt at ONE 173
Rodtang is hell bent on reclaiming the ONE flyweight Muay Thai belt at ONE 173 after losing the world title on the scales.
The Jitmuangnon Gym standout was long the flyweight king until he was stripped of the world title for missing weight in his scheduled title defense against British challenger Jacob Smith in November last year. The contest still pushed through, with Smith the only one eligible to win, but Rodtang made sure the belt remained vacant by winning convincingly by decision.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Rodtang spoke about losing the title and the role it plays entering ONE 173.
"In this upcoming fight, I have the chance to get back the world title... One thing for sure is that when one loses a precious thing in life, one regrets it, and so do I... But the thing is, no one can turn back time to fix their mistakes. Losing such a precious thing made me even stronger," Rodtang said.
Tickets for ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri are available via ePlus in Japan. For more information and updates on it, follow Sportskeeda MMA and ONE Championship.
