“I hold myself to high standards” - Defiant Jacob Smith eager to shock the world in rematch with Rodtang
Jacob Smith is going into his rematch with Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon next month with dogged determination as he looks to shock the world and become the new ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion. The 32-year-old Englishman battles 'The Iron Man' for his world title in the co-headlining match at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Nov. 8 at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. It is a rematch of their first encounter two years ago, when Smith lost by decision.
In an interview with Cageside Press, which was uploaded on YouTube on Oct. 19, Jacob Smith underscored that he is not going to let anything stop him from realizing his world championship goals, even the immense pressure of going up against a longtime champion like Rodtang.
He said:
"I hold [myself to] high standards. So the only pressure I feel is the one I'm putting on myself."
Check out what he had to say below:
Jacob Smith first took on Rodtang in his ONE debut in May 2022 in a flyweight Muay Thai world grand prix quarterfinal match, where he lost by decision.
ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug will air live and for free at U.S. primetime to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Jacob Smith says he is more prepared for Rodtang in rematch
Jacob Smith admitted that he was not prepared as he thought he was in his first encounter with Rodtang Jitmuangnon. He, however, asserted that in their scheduled rematch at ONE 169 on Nov. 8, that will not be the case.
The Bad Company representative shared this in an interview with Sportskeeda MMA, relaying how in his first showdown with 'The Iron Man' in his ONE Championship debut in May 2022, he did not have a full grasp of what Rodtang is capable of yet, which turned out to be costly.
He said:
"I don't know if 'too soon' is the right word, but maybe, mate, yeah. Something like that."
Despite the loss to Rodtang, Smith has remained one of the best fighters in the flyweight Muay Thai division.