Demetrious Johnson doesn’t think he’ll see Muay Thai Sensation Rodtang move to MMA.
“Mighty Mouse” had the opportunity to share the cage with Rod Tan under one championship banner, competing with the previous flyweight Muay Thai World World Holder in March 2022 at One X, the promotion’s 10th anniversary Extravaganza.
It was the first foray into a mixed rule matchup where each round alternates with Muay Thai and MMA rules. Johnson ultimately won the contest via a rear choke in the second stanza after weathering an early storm from “Iron Man” in Round 1.
Recently, Johnson spent time training with Rodtan at a gym in Bangkok, providing insight into whether to watch Thai superstar jump jump towards mixed martial arts.
“I got the opportunity to go to his gym and start with sparring, do padwork and then do some clinch work… he wants to do MMA, but I think his heart and soul lies in Muay Thai and kickboxing.”
Rodtan will face Takeru in Japan’s 172
Given that Rodtang is only 27 years old, there’s plenty of time for him to test his temper at MMA. But first, “Iron Man” focuses on the much-anticipated clash with former three-division K-1 champion Segawa.
The two head to Japan’s iconic Saitama Super Arena with 172 headlines this Sunday (March 23) as one championship is one of the biggest cards in promotional history. In addition to five massive One World Title Fights, this card will be headlined by Rodotan and Takeru’s flyweight kickboxing superfight.
One 172 will be broadcast live live on pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com.