History Makers: Everything you need to know about Demetrious Johnson vs. Rodtang Jitmuangnon at ONE X
![Demetrious Johnson (L), Rodtang Jitmuangnon (R) [Photo: ONE Championship]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/03/82a22-16481218411749-1920.jpg?w=500)
We are just days away from Demetrious Johnson and Rodtang Jitmuangnon’s hybrid-rules showdown at ONE X.
ONE Championship’s historic 10-year anniversary extravaganza goes down this Saturday, March 26, live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Arguably, the most anticipated bout of the evening belongs to ‘Mighty Mouse’ and ‘The Iron Man'. The two will figure in a flyweight special-rules superfight featuring alternating rule sets.
Rounds one and three will be contested under ONE Super Series Muay Thai rules, while rounds two and four will be contested under ONE Championship’s global MMA rules. Fighters will wear four-ounce MMA gloves. Each round is three minutes and if there is no finish when time expires, the match will be declared a draw.
Without a doubt, this fight is one of the most intriguing matchups we’ve ever seen, at least on paper. Whether or not it delivers, we’ll have to wait and see. Nevertheless, it's widely accepted that there’s really nothing quite like this right now, in any promotion.
Here’s everything you need to know about this incredible martial arts showcase.
The phenom that is Rodtang Jitmuangnon
Nicknamed ‘The Iron Man', ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon is one of the most explosive strikers in all of combat sports. He’s constantly on the attack and is always willing to trade shots. He’s very reminiscent of a Mike Tyson or a Manny Pacquiao - just an aggressive offensive force of relentless forward pressure.
With over 300 professional Muay Thai bouts under his belt, including 267 victories and only a handful of losses, Rodtang has the experience of a grizzled veteran, at least where striking is concerned.
Rodtang joined ONE Super Series in 2018, debuting against Sergio Wielzen. He won three more under the ONE banner in impressive fashion before earning a shot at then-ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Jonathan Haggerty.
He crushed Haggerty and went on to defend his belt three more times, each time building on his legend. Rodtang remains unbeaten in ONE today.
There have been rumors of Rodtang wanting to make a full transition to MMA to follow in the footsteps of his ex-girlfriend Stamp Fairtex. He has dabbled in jiu-jitsu training here and there. So when the proposal for this hybrid-rules matchup fell on his lap, Rodtang accepted without question.
One of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, Demetrious Johnson
Anybody who has ever followed the sport of MMA knows who Demetrious Johnson is. The former UFC flyweight world champion captured the division’s inaugural belt in 2012 and went on to set a UFC record for most flyweight world title defenses at 11.
After losing his belt to Henry Cejudo at UFC 227 in 2018, however, Demetrious Johnson decided not to re-sign with the UFC. Instead, joined ONE Championship, a company he felt better matched his values as an athlete.
He made his ONE debut against Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE: A New Era in 2019, winning by guillotine choke submission. He then went on to decision Tatsumitsu Wada and Filipino sensation Danny ‘The King’ Kingad to capture the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Championship and earn his right to a world title shot.
At ONE on TNT last April, Demetrious Johnson challenged Adriano Moraes for ONE flyweight gold. Unfortunately, ‘Mighty Mouse’ fell short of victory and was stopped for the first time in his career thanks to a technical ground strike from his Brazilian adversary - a grounded knee to the head.
Despite the loss, Demetrious Johnson remains one of the most dangerous flyweights in ONE and a man many consider to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time.
A fight for martial arts fans
To truly appreciate and understand this superfight, you have to be a hardcore fan. That requires an appreciation for both Muay Thai and MMA, and everything in between.
You already know the background of each fighter, and the storylines that are deeply embedded into this matchup. There isn’t much at stake, per se, with no title on the line. However, the whole world will be watching, nonetheless.
It’s a chance to witness Demetrious Johnson try his hand at Muay Thai, stripped of his wrestling and grappling powers akin to T’Challa losing the power of The Black Panther. It’s a handicap, but we’ll soon find out if Johnson can hold his own in the striking realm.
At the same time, fans could potentially get to see what Rodtang looks like as an MMA fighter if the fight reaches the second round.
These two scenarios are what has piqued the interest of martial arts fans from all over the world.