Rodtang fires back at John Lineker: “He’s not scary at all” 

Rodtang Jitmuangnon didn’t waste any time responding to the recent challenge posed by John Lineker. 

The reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion found himself in the spotlight after Lineker called him out following the Brazilian’s second victory in “the art of eight limbs” at ONE Fight Night 25 on Prime Video earlier this month. 

There, the former bantamweight MMA kingpin demolished Alexey Balyko. He dropped the Russian thrice with a left hook in under three minutes to score a decisive finish. 

This performance underscored Lineker’s formidable power. But Rodtang remains unconvinced about his overall skills in Muay Thai. 

“For me, from a fighter’s perspective, he’s not scary at all. Only his punches are dangerous,” Rodtang said. 

“But I understand his style. Because he’s short, he can’t kick effectively. He has to walk in to punch. But his punches are deadly. He can kill a buffalo with his punch. But if I use my footwork, he might not hit me at all.” 

However, “The Iron Man” is well aware of the risk should he face “Hands of Stone” in the ring. He concedes that he would strategically avoid engaging in a direct firefight, opting to leverage his experience instead. 

“I don’t know if I can knock him out because he’s strong. But if I have to share the ring with him, I’d rather use my fight experience than brute force,” Rodtang said. 

Rodtang suits up for action at ONE 169

It’s important for Rodtang Jitmuangnon not to get ahead of himself by focusing on John Lineker just yet.  

He is set to defend his crown against Jacob Smith in a rematch at ONE 169 on November 8. This takes place live in U.S. primetime from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Lineker isn’t the only fighter eyeing a showdown with Rodtang. Takeru Segawa has also been vocal about his desire to face the Thai megastar. He has actively lobbied for a super-fight that could take place early next year.