Demetrious Johnson Doubts Rodtang Will Ever Compete in MMA But “He Wants To”
Demetrious Johnson doesn’t think we’ll ever see Muay Thai sensation Rodtang make the move to MMA.
‘Mighty Mouse’ had the opportunity to share the cage with Rodtang under the ONE Championship banner, competing against the former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world titleholder at ONE X — the promotion’s 10th-anniversary extravaganza — in March 2022.
It was ONE’s first foray into mixed-rules matchups with each round alternating between Muay Thai and MMA rules. Johnson ultimately won the contest via a rear-naked choke in the second stanza after weathering an early storm from ‘The Iron Man’ in round one.
Recently, Johnson spent some time training with Rodtang at his gym in Bangkok and offered some insight into whether or not we’ll ever see the Thai superstar jump head-first into mixed martial arts.
“I got the opportunity to go to his gym and start off with sparring, then do some pad work, and then do some clinch work… He wants to do MMA, but I think his heart and soul is in Muay Thai and kickboxing,” Johnson said during an appearance on the JAXXON Podcast with Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson.
Rodtang faces Takeru at ONE 172 in Japan
Considering Rodtang is only 27 years old, there’s plenty of time for him to test his mettle in MMA. But first, ‘The Iron Man’ is focused on his long-awaited clash with former three-division K-1 champion Takeru Segawa.
The two will headline ONE 172 this Sunday (March 23) when ONE Championship heads to the iconic Saitama Super Arena in Japan for one of the biggest cards in the promotion’s history. In addition to five massive ONE world title fights, the card will be headlined by Rodtang and Takeru’s flyweight kickboxing superfight.
ONE 172 airs live on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.
