The “rags to riches” narrative is widely regarded as one of the most motivating types of sports stories. A number of athletes have been able to pull themselves up from a life of poverty by focusing on their athletic careers. One of these athletes, Rodtang, is the reigning world champion in the flyweight division of Muay Thai.
Before enjoying the success he currently does, the Thai superstar first experienced the difficulty of life, which forced him to make a living at an early age. The 26-year-old man became involved in Muay Thai, which opened up financial opportunities for him.
During his interview on CUTZRADIO, ‘Iron Man’ took a moment to reflect on his humble beginnings by taking a quick trip down memory lane:
“We don’t have much money, and my parents are raising 10 children, of which I am the eighth. In order to put food on the table, it was necessary for everyone to contribute their labor. In addition, one of my other team members suggested that I compete in Muay Thai because of the lucrative financial rewards. In the first fight, you have the potential to earn between 300 and 500 Thai Baht.
Since he began competing professionally when he was just 10 years old, Rodtang has amassed a record of over 250 victories, which was a significant factor in his acceptance into the most prestigious martial arts organization in the world in 2018. He would then go on to become one of the biggest stars in the promotion.
After making his debut in ONE Championship and defeating Sergio Wielzen, Rodtang went on to add Fahdi Khaled, Hakim Hamech, and Sok Thy to his list of victims before earning a shot at the world title against Jonathan Haggerty in August of 2019. He maximized the opportunity and dethroned ‘The General’ with a unanimous decision win to realize his dream of becoming a world champion.
After that world championship triumph, ‘Iron Man’ has fended off the challenges from Walter Goncalves, Petchdam Petchyindee, Danial Williams, Jacob Smith, and Joseph Lasiri. His most recent title defense was a second-round knockout of Edgar Tabares at ONE Fight Night 10, which earned him a whopping $100,000 bonus for the spectacular finish.
Rodtang’s next opponent will be Superlek Kiatmoo9 as he defends his ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title in the headliner of ONE Friday Fights 34 inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on September 22.
