Rodtang believes Jacob Smith takes too long to hit his groove: "His engine is slow to heat up"
Rodtang Jitmuangnon believes Jacob Smith's indecisiveness is one of his biggest flaws.
'The Iron Man' defends his ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title against the British striker at ONE 169 inside the Lumpinee Stadium on Nov. 8, aiming to take a 2-0 lead in their rivalry.
Having handed the Bad Company and Thaifist athlete a debut to forget in 2022, the divisional king believes their rematch in Bangkok, Thailand next month should be practically another similar night because Smith hasn't evolved for the better.
Speaking to ONE Championship, Rodtang shared:
"He's still the same in terms of his style. It's like his engine is slow to heat up. He thinks and acts a bit slow."
Despite seeing some holes in his game, the Jitmuangnon Gym man is not underestimating what the No. 3-ranked contender brings to the table.
Smith's ultra-aggressive approach has led to some memorable performances over the years, as seen in his first-round knockout of Walter Goncalves at ONE Fight Night 17 last December.
The Englishman does his best work when he's swinging bombs and is always effective in the clinch with precision and power locked in. However, whether that will be enough for him to secure a victory over 'The Iron Man' remains to be seen.
The Thai superstar barely falls prey to his opposite number's style, and his trademark aggression should come in handy once more when he renews his rivalry with Smith at ONE 169 on Nov. 8.
Lito Adiwang outlines Jacob Smith's path to victory over Rodtang
Though Rodtang's defense has looked almost impenetrable over his successful ONE Championship campaign, Lito Adiwang believes Smith has one possible path to breach 'The Iron Man's armor.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, 'Thunder Kid' noted:
"I want to see his footwork. From what I see, that's where Rodtang's game is shaken a bit - when someone is backpedaling or dancing around. We know that his shouts of daring his opponents to stand and bang with him are all for show, but we have to admit that his rhythm is disrupted."
ONE 169 will be available to active Amazon Prime Video subscribers live in U.S. primetime for free on Friday, Nov. 8.