Demetrious Johnson sees Rodtang becoming an MMA world champion
After flyweight mixed martial arts legend ‘Mighty Mouse’ Demetrious Johnson fought ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion ‘The Iron Man’ Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a highly publicized special mixed rules fight at ONE X in 2022, the 36-year-old said he had discovered a newfound appreciation for the striking arts.
After all, Rodtang did almost take his head off in a blistering first round of Muay Thai action before Johnson sourced a submission in the second round.
Despite his victory, ‘Mighty Mouse’ was impressed with Rodtang’s game and saw potential for ‘The Iron Man’ to eventually transition to mixed martial arts.
In a recent Reddit AMA session, Johnson responded to a fan question about Rodtang potentially transitioning to MMA and what he thought about it. The Kirkland, Washington native said:
“Of course [there are] people who have become world champion [without] a ground game.”
Although Rodtang fell to Johnson by rear-naked choke, the Thai fighter could develop a solid enough grappling game in the future to become a legitimate problem in the cage. Rodtang has expressed a willingness to make the transition to MMA in the future.
Demetrious Johnson will return to action against rival Adriano Moraes in the main event of ONE Fight Night 10 on May 5, from the 1stBank Center in Colorado. It’s ONE Championship’s highly anticipated U.S. on-ground debut.
Johnson’s ONE flyweight world title will be up for grabs.
The event will be available to watch live and for free for fans in the United States and Canada with an active Amazon Prime subscription.