“Rodtang can’t use his best weapons” - Demetrious Johnson believes Rodtang Jitmuangnon’s offense will be limited against Takeru
Demetrious Johnson believes Rodtang Jitmuangnon will be at a disadvantage against Takeru Segawa due to the limitations of fighting in kickboxing.
On January 28, ONE Championship will travel to the Ariake Arena for a must-see event, ONE 165, in Tokyo, Japan. The highly-anticipated fight card will be headlined by Takeru making his promotional debut in a kickboxing bout against ONE flyweight Muay Thai world Rodtang.
Rodtang holds a promotional kickboxing record of 2-0. With that said, there’s no doubt that he’s more dangerous in Muay Thai because of his lethal elbows and devastating power in four-ounce gloves. As a result, some people believe ‘The Iron Man’ will have a disadvantage against the Japanese kickboxing superstar.
When talking about the ONE 165 main event, ONE flyweight MMA world champion Demetrious Johnson had this to say:
“It’s gonna be a banger, but it’s bad that Rodtang can’t use his best weapons - his elbows and four-ounce gloves.”
Chingiz Allazov also believes Rodtang Jitmuangnon could struggle against Takeru Segawa
Demetrious Johnson isn’t the only ONE Championship world champion who believes Rodtang Jitmuangnon is more dangerous in Muay Thai than in kickboxing. During an interview with Beyond Kickboxing, ONE featherweight kickboxing king Chingiz Allazov had this to say about Rodtang vs. Takeru Segawa:
“Takeru is one of the best kickboxers in the world. Rodtang [will] have big problems fighting with Takeru.”
Rodtang Jitmuangnon last fought on September 22 in a Muay Thai war against Superlek. Despite his valiant effort, ‘The Iron Man’ barely lost by unanimous decision, ending his 12-0 promotional run in “The Art of Eight Limbs.”
Meanwhile, Takeru Segawa made a statement before officially signing with ONE. On June 24, the Japanese kickboxing superstar fought Bailey Sugden for the vacant ISKA and KGP K-1 lightweight world titles.
With two seconds left in the final round, Takeru landed a devastating head kick to secure a knockout win. Takeru plans to further his legacy by taking out any ONE Championship fighter put in his path.