Denis Puric says putting on a show is a must even when he's losing: "I fight for the crowd"
Denis Puric discussed the importance of entertaining the fans during his fights.
On June 7, Puric and Rodtang showcased one of the most entertaining kickboxing fights of the year, with the latter emerging victorious by unanimous decision. Although he didn't emerge victorious, 'The Bosnian Menace' gained respect from fans for going toe-to-toe with the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion.
During an interview with Sportskeeda, Puric was asked about his action-packed fighting style and had this to say:
"I don't know if I told you this before, but winning or losing fights is one thing, but my job is to win the crowd. So if I'm down on scorecards I'm going to go out there and bust my a** off to at least win the crowd. This is what I fight for... I fight for the crowd. I'm an entertainer."
The ONE 167 replay featuring Rodtang vs Denis Puric and Tawanchai vs Jo Nattawut 2 can be seen for free by North American and Canadian viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Watch Puric's entire interview with Sportskeeda below:
What's next for Denis Puric after losing against Rodtang in kickboxing?
Before fighting Rodtang, Denis Puric was riding momentum due to consecutive Muay Thai wins against Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat (second-round knockout) and Jacob Smith. Following ONE 167, 'The Bosnian Menace' is expected to return to the ONE flyweight Muay Thai division, where he is ranked number two.
Although it's unconfirmed by ONE, Puric could be closing in on a title shot, creating a must-see rematch against Rodtang. In the meantime, the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion is expected to fight Japanese superstar Takeru Segawa in a kickboxing bout later this year.
Potential opponents for Puric are number four-ranked Dedduanglek TDed99, number five-ranked Elias Mahmoudi, a rematch against number three-ranked Jacob Smith, or an unranked fighter from the ONE Friday Fights series.