"He's going to be fighting me at my best" - Jacob Smith expects Rodtang to be 'super serious' in world title matchup at ONE 169
Jacob Smith hopes Rodtang Jitmuangnon will be at his sparkling best in their ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title battle at ONE 169 on Nov. 8. Smith will face his rival inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, with eyes locked on the massive chance to claim the divisional gold from the longtime kingpin.
As much as he wants to also exact revenge against 'The Iron Man,' Jacob Smith told Violent Money TV recently that he doesn't want to do so by facing a much weaker version of the Thai star.
There's nothing the Englishman loves more than a good ol' scrap, after all, based on what he had to say:
"Rodtang is going to be training like he did when he fought me the first time. Super serious. He's going to be fighting me at his best, which is what I want, because there will be no excuses when I beat him."
Though Rodtang, at his very best, will only spell danger for the Bad Company and Thaifist man, the 32-year-old has never been one to shy away from a fierce war.
As seen in his three fights under the ONE Championship banner, Smith packs every trait necessary to cause mayhem. He'll be banking on that same arsenal of his, with a bit more finesse, when he runs it back with Rodtang at ONE 169 on Nov. 8.
Jacob Smith says beating Rodtang in Thailand will make for a better storyline
Earlier this month, ONE Championship made the decision to move ONE 169 from State Farm Arena to the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
While some within the martial arts community would have loved to see the promotion return to North America, Smith believes that fighting for the ONE flyweight Muay Thai gold inside the Mecca of Muay Thai is far more preferable.
In the same interview, Jacob Smith told Violent Money TV:
"There's no issue at all there. Just as I said before, it's turned out to be better, fighting in Thailand [more] than in America."