Rodtang Jitmuangnon is well aware that the bout between Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Tagir Khalilov has the potential to trigger a seismic upheaval in the landscape of Muay Thai, and he is looking forward to it.
The current holder of the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world championship will be keeping a close eye on the main event of ONE Fight Night 12, and he has even provided his close friend Superlek with some advice regarding strategy.
Rodtang suggested that Superlek should avoid getting into harsh exchanges with Khalilov if he wants to easily achieve a win this Friday, US time, at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. Rodtang made this recommendation during an interview with ONE Championship.
The current world champion in the flyweight division of ONE Muay Thai stated:
“He will win this match if Superlek doesn’t try to trade with him too much,” the commentator said. On the other hand, if he chooses to rush in and trade blows with him immediately, then they will both have an equal opportunity to knock out the other fighter or to get knocked out themselves. It is dependent on who makes the first error.
Since Rodtang was the one who invited the Russian slugger to compete in ONE Championship all the way back in February 2021, he does have a significant amount of experience competing against Khalilov. Even though he was already the world champion in the flyweight division of ONE Muay Thai, he chose not to put his title on the line against Khalilov because the fight was sanctioned under kickboxing.
Khalilov, although being relatively fresh to the international stage, turned in one of the most impressive displays in the Circle against the player who is often regarded as the most dangerous striker anywhere in the world. Khalilov was ultimately defeated by ‘The Iron Man’ in Singapore via a split decision despite his courageous approach to the fight.
Superlek, on the other hand, has the opportunity to further his standing as one of the most accomplished strikers of his time. A victory against Khalilov will undoubtedly bring the reigning ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion one step closer to a showdown with Rodtang, who is currently ranked as the top challenger in the flyweight Muay Thai division.
All Prime Video users in North America have access to the live stream of ONE Fight Night 12 for no additional cost, just like they do with any other Amazon card.
