As was everyone else in attendance, reigning and undisputed ONE flyweight MMA world champion ‘Mighty Mouse’ Demetrious Johnson was utterly taken away by the electrifying battle between Rodtang and Superlek that took place at ONE Friday Fights 34 on the previous Friday.
In a highly anticipated duel to decide who is the best Muay Thai fighter in the world, ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion ‘The Iron Man’ Rodtang Jitmuangnon faced off against ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion ‘The Kicking Machine’ Superlek Kiatmoo9. The fight included strong firepower exchanges between both fighters.
In the main event of ONE Friday Fights 34, which took place live at the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on September 22nd, the two boxers squared off against one another.
Unfortunately, Superlek was five pounds over the flyweight limit when he stepped onto the scales, so he failed both the weight and hydration tests. This resulted in the battle being changed from a five-round title fight to a three-round fight that did not involve a title, which was, to say the least, a sad turn of events.
Johnson, a true professional in every sense of the word, has never failed to make weight for any of his fights. In light of this, he was at a loss to understand how Superlek could fail to make the weight considering the amount of time he had to get ready.
Johnson stated the following in a recent post he made on Instagram:
“Superlek weighs in at a whole five pounds more than he should. Even though he is not the world champion, he wins against Rodtang. He did not have a chance of winning the championship belt, and he did not have a chance of winning a bonus.So, let’s get this party started, shall we? In order to make weight, even if it meant sacrificing my performance, I would do it since, at the end of the day, we compete for money. It’s for that reason why I struggle, because I need the money. I have won the title of world champion eleven times in a row. A 15-time winner of the world championship. The only reason I fight these days is for the money. Fantastic battle. Congratulations to Superlek on his victory over Rodtang. And congratulations are in order for Rodtang on his victory over Superlek. I hope that everything goes smoothly for you all and that you get well soon.
The fight between Rodtang and Superlek, as well as the rest of the action from ONE Friday Fights 34, will be rebroadcast on the ONE Super App and the official YouTube account for ONE Championship. Fans in the United States and Canada will be able to watch the replay of this event.
