Rodtang Jitmuangnon is gearing up for the biggest fight of his career.
"The Iron Man" puts his ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title on the line against flyweight kickboxing king Superlek Kiatmoo9 in the ONE Lumpinee 34 headliner at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok tomorrow.
Incredibly, the Thai megastars have both been at the top of the ONE tree since 2019 without ever crossing paths -- until now.
According to Rodtang, a blockbuster showdown between the pair was simply a matter of when and not if.
"When the matchmaker offers this fight, we have to accept it. We are fighters. If they think it comes for the right time for us to fight each other [then we fight]. So, let's make it happen," he said.
"I already knew that someday we have to face each other. Because there's no one left in the rankings except Superlek and the newcomer, Takeru. And now, Haggerty [is] in another division. So, I have to fight with Superlek, for sure. It is not just the fans who anticipate this fight. So do I."
Rodtang and "The Kicking Machine" have long been among the biggest names in Muay Thai, and they were scheduled to lock horns back in March before an injury to Rodtang postponed the matchup.
The fight has been bubbling away ever since and, while they have each remained active in the interim, they have had plenty of time to study each other's style.
Rodtang is very respectful of Superlek's skills, but the 26-year-old remains confident of knocking him out when the opportunity presents itself.
"He's really good, maybe better than me. He was a superstar in Thailand even before I started fighting. Superlek is tough, and he has a tight guard. He has a dangerous right shin. And of course, Superlek is the toughest opponent for me since I joined ONE," he said.
"His strength is his zoning style. He will read his opponent's movement and find a gap to counter. For his weakness, I think he can be knocked down if he gets a clean hit. And he seems to let his guard down a bit when he attacks."
The friendly relationship between Rodtang and Superlek has been widely discussed leading up to ONE Lumpinee 34.
The pair will have to put their friendship aside in order to walk out of Lumpinee with the flyweight Muay Thai strap.
ONE Lumpinee 34 will broadcast on Channel 7 starting at 8.30pm tomorrow.