"He's a hard heavy hitter" - Denis Puric draws similarities between Yodlekpet and Rodtang's iron fists
Denis Puric compared the power of his former opponents Rodtang and Yodlekpet.
Over the last two years, 'The Bosnian Menace' has fought several world-class strikers during his ONE Championship tenure. Most recently, Puric helped produce a Fight of the Year contender against Rodtang in the featherweight kickboxing division, with the latter winning by unanimous decision.
During an interview with Sportskeeda, Puric was asked about Rodtang's power following their clash at ONE 167. The 39-year-old responded by voicing his respect and mentioning his May 2023 defeat against Thailand's Yodlekpet:
"He definitely hits hard, well, but he was also overweight. But I got an iron-jaw too, I got an iron-chin too. So, that's the thing, man. I can take a shot too. He definitely hits hard, but you know who hit me pretty hard? It was Yodlekpet. That guy hits hard too. He's a hard heavy hitter. He's one of those guys that you definitely feel all his shots."
ONE 167 featured several action-packed matchups, including Rodtang vs Denis Puric, Tawanchai vs Jo Nattawut 2, and more. The replay of the June 7 event 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:
Should Rodtang and Denis Puric rematch in Muay Thai?
Denis Puric is likely heading back to the ONE flyweight Muay Thai division, where he's won consecutive fights against Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat (second-round knockout) and Jacob Smith (unanimous decision).
Following ONE 167, Rodtang called for a kickboxing matchup against Japanese superstar Takeru Segawa. ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong is also interested in the matchup for later this year.
In the meantime, Puric could continue his run in "The Art of Eight Limbs" by securing a win against a top contender. With an impressive performance, fans would surely be interested in another banger between him and Rodtang.