"A tough fight, but it'll be a great fight" - Jake Peacock expects Jacob Smith to shine against "phenomenal" Rodtang
Jake Peacock believes Jacob Smith will have his hands full when he collides with Rodtang Jitmuangnon at ONE 169. Still, he remains sure that the hard-hitting British striker will make it entertaining until the end.
The Bad Company and Thaifist superstar — ranked No. 3 in the flyweight Muay Thai division — runs it back against 'The Iron Man' for the latter's 26 pounds of gold inside the Lumpinee Stadium on Nov. 8.
Sharing his thoughts on this must-watch fixture in Bangkok, Thailand, Jake Peacock stacked praise on the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion and explained why he expects Smith to put on a show. 'The One' said:
"Rodtang is one of the greatest. And a lot of people think Rodtang is just tough, but they're wrong. He's phenomenal. His timing, his power, his distance control, his fight IQ. He's the whole package. It's definitely going to be a tough fight for Jacob, but it'll be a great fight."
The pair's world title fight at ONE 169 will be a sequel to their ONE 157 classic that took place in May 2022.
That evening, Rodtang outclassed the debuting superstar on his way to a comfortable unanimous decision win in their ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix Championship quarterfinal matchup.
Jake Peacock would love to secure a performance bonus with a highlight-reel finish at ONE 169
On his end, Jake Peacock is also locked in for a scrap at ONE 169 on Nov. 8. The Canadian-British superstar goes toe-to-toe with Japanese veteran Shinji Suzuki in the night's curtain raiser.
After impressing all three judges at ringside in his promotional bow against Kohei Shinjo at ONE Friday Fights 58 this past April, 'The One' wants to better his debut outing with a second-round finish of his opposite number.
If he can achieve just that, Jake Peacock also hopes to lay his hands on the US$50,000 performance bonus, one that could go a long way:
"Yeah, mate [the US$50,000 performance bonus is added motivation]. I have a family, though I must say, I've never never ever fought for money. It's never been my goal. I fight because I love to fight. I fight because I believe I've been gifted by God with skills to fight.
"But, you know, I do have a family, and I want to take care of my family. So the thought of being able to catch a bonus of 50,000 dollars is definitely extra motivation."