Denis Puric defends Rodtang despite ONE 167 weight mishap: “He didn’t do it on purpose”
Denis Puric wants the Thai people to cut Rodtang some slack.
Stepping inside the Circle for the first time in 2024, Rodtang's long-awaited return was mired in a bit of controversy after he stepped on the scale 3.5 pounds over the flyweight limit for his kickboxing clash with 'The Bosnian Menace' at ONE 167. Fortunately, the fight moved forward as scheduled once renegotiated as a catchweight.
'The Iron Man' ultimately went on to win the fight, dispatching Puric via unanimous decision, but by then, the damage had already been done. Fight fans were fairly unforgiving of Rodtang's mishap on the scale—something that even frustrated Puric.
Speaking with Sportskeeda MMA, Puric encouraged fans, Rodtang's countrymen in particular, to give 'The Iron Man' a bit of a break.
"I want the Thai people to give him a break because these things happen, man, Puric said. "I know he didn't do it on purpose, he tried. It is what it is. We agreed to fight, and if I had a problem about it, we wouldn't have agreed."
Rodtang calls out Takeru Segawa following win over Denis Puric at ONE 167
Immediately following his victory over Puric, 'The Iron Man' called for a clash with Japanese kickboxing star Takeru Segawa, who made his promotional debut earlier this year at ONE 165 in Tokyo.
“I want to fight Takeru," Rodtang declared during his post-fight interview with Mitch Chilson. "You ready? Takeru, let’s go."
Originally, the Thai superstar was set to square off with 'The Natural Born Crusher' in January, but an injury forced 'The Iron Man' out of the bout.
Speaking to members of the media during ONE 167's post-fight press event, ONE Championship CEO and founder Chatri Sityodtong expressed his desire to bring the long-awaited matchup to The Land of the Rising Sun later this year.
“I want to do Rodtang vs. Takeru, 100 percent. I want to do that fight this year. Maybe in Japan, let’s see,” Sityodtong said.
If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE 167 replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.