"It was surprising to see a man losing that much blood" - Rodtang impressed that Jacob Smith kept fighting with a crimson mask
There are not a lot of people could can handle a beatdown from Rodtang Jitmuangnon and live to tell the tale.
Despite being on the receiving end of a one-sided demolition from 'The Iron Man', Jacob Smith showcased his warrior's heart and fought through until the end of their epic first meeting back in 2022.
The British slugger made his promotional debut back in ONE 157 and valiantly traded in the pocket against the heavy-handed Thai. Near the end of round 1, Rodtang opened up a nasty cut on Smith, which also appeared to bust up his nose.
The 32-year-old was a bloody mess for the majority of the bout but refused to waive the white flag and made it until the final horn. Recalling that memorable first fight in a Sportskeeda MMA interview, Rodtang admitted he was highly impressed by Smith's show of heart.
He said:
"It was surprising for me to see a man losing that much blood and still had the strength to keep the game going."
Jacob Smith will once again rely on that seemingly inhuman toughness when he runs it back with Rodtang for five rounds at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Nov. 8 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Let's see if the challenger can do the unthinkable and dethrone the Jitmuangnon Gym star from his flyweight Muay Thai throne.
Jacob Smith going in with a 'nothing to lose' mentality versus Rodtang
Given the dominant nature of Rodtang's win in their initial meeting, 'The Iron Man' is still the overwhelming favorite for this rematch.
Still, Smith doesn't mind being counted out, since he never listens to the outside noise anyway. As far as the British striker is concerned, his and the people around him's thoughts are the only thing that matters.
The Bad Company and Thaifist representative told Combat Sports Today:
"Obviously, outside of my team, there's zero pressure on me. But from me, my team, and my family, there's a lot of pressure on me because I put a lot of pressure on myself. I hold very high expectations of myself."
ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug will air live in US Primetime free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in North America