FREE FULL FIGHT: Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon's bloody beatdown of Chinese striker Jiduo Yibu
Whenever ONE Championship announces that Rodtang Jitmunangnon is set to compete on a fight card, it is a surefire thing that it will turn into an all-out brawl and that is exactly what fans got in January 2023 at ONE Fight Night 6.
The event was headlined by a pair of ONE kickboxing world championship matchups and while they were cannot-miss bouts in their own right, Rodtang's three-round catchweight (136.5 lbs) kickboxing war with Jiduo Yibu also had fans buzzing.
'The Iron Man', currently reigning as the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion, was coming off a flawless defense of his world title against Joseph Lasiri while Jiduo was out to prove that he was capable of beating one of the biggest names in combat sports.
'The Eagle of Yi' immediately felt the power that Rodtang possessed, but still stood in the pocket and willingly went blow-for-blow, with some shining moments of his own all throughout.
But Rodtang's relentless aggression again gave him the edge which opened up a cut on the Chinese star midway through the bout, though Jiduo was able to make it to the final bell where Rodtang was awarded the unanimous decision victory.
Rewatch their battle below:
Rodtang close to making his return
The Thai megastar has been out of action since January due to an injury to his left hand that forced him off the kickboxing megafight against Takeru Segawa at ONE 165.
Just over two months removed, Rodtang has been hard at work preparing for his return to the ONE Circle, and that could happen sooner rather than later.
No date for his return nor an opponent has been revealed yet by ONE Championship, though fans have floated a couple of names they would want to see him fight.