"I don't want a half-a**ed Rodtang" - Denis Puric wants to face the best version of 'The Iron Man' at ONE 167
After ONE Championship granted his wish to fight the reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon, number two-rated divisional contender Denis Puric has another request for their clash on June 7 at ONE 167.
Puric said that he wants to face the most dangerous version of Rodtang inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Along with this desire, 'The Bosnian Menace' knockout artist also gave a bold warning to the Thai superstar.
The 39-year-old veteran stated:
"I hope he's training because I want the best Rodtang. I don't want a half-assed Rodtang in the ring, trust me, man, I'm coming. I'm bringing the heat."
This statement by the Team CSK representative was also a response to Rodtang's statement about his preparation during his fight against Edgar Tabares in May 2023 at ONE Fight Night 10, where he only had two days of training.
Puric is fresh off a unanimous decision victory against Jacob Smith at ONE Fight Night 21 on April 5 to record his third win under the world's largest martial arts organization. His other two wins were against Tagir Khalilov and Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat.
Denis Puric says that it is the perfect time to face Rodtang after his lengthy wait
Despite calling for a match with Rodtang for years now, Puric still thinks that their upcoming showdown is the perfect timing to face the Jitmuangnon Gym representative because he feels great about this opportunity.
Furthermore, he wants to prove that there is still a lot of mileage in his professional career and that he can still compete at the highest level of competition despite being at the sunset of his career.
ONE 167 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America in U.S. primetime on June 7. The card will emanate from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.