Ahead of his rematch for the ONE flyweight Muay Thai title against Rodtang at ONE 169 on November 8, Jacob Smith has opened up about his previous performance against the Muay Thai superstar.
In 2022, Jacob Smith was given the opportunity of a lifetime when he got the call to debut in a title fight against Rodtang in ONE Championship.
Despite losing by decision, the Brit put on a tremendously gritty performance and won over the hearts of the Muay Thai fans in Thailand.
Jacob Smith admits he is ’embarrassed’ by his first fight against Rodtang
Although it was his first fight under the ONE Championship banner, Smith has admitted that his performance left him feeling embarrassed and he has only taken pride from it.
The Brit was surprised that Rodtang came into their first bout with a more technical and patient approach as he was expecting the two to stand in the center of the ring and fight in an all-out war.
“My style and his style were just made to stand there and fight, which is what I did, he didn’t really do that, he was technically a lot better than I expected, I was expecting him to do what he does to most other people, walk forward, hands down, banging himself on the chin, give me some free shots, he didn’t do any of that,” Smith told Bloody Elbow in an exclusive interview.
“I didn’t move my feet once, one thing I can hold my head up high with about the first fight is I did exactly what I said I was gonna do, I didn’t run away like half the other fighters do when they feel a bit of power, I stood there like an idiot, by the way, I stood there and took what he had, which is a little bit cringy and half embarrassing, to be honest.
“I don’t want to be known for just being tough… That’s not what I’m in the game for, which I feel a lot of people are,” Smith candidly opened up.
Smith reveals what to expect from his rematch with Rodtang at ONE 169
Following his loss to the 27-year-old champion, Smith went on to pick up a first-round KO over Walter Goncalves and then a disappointing loss against Denis Puric.
However, because of his first outing against Rodtang, the promotion afforded the Brit a rematch against Rodtang, and he is hoping to put on an entirely different performance this time around.
“It’s a guessing game (what Rodtang’s game plan will be), isn’t it, I don’t know, I’m prepared for both. Is he gonna fight me like the first fight and be more measured and more calculated and tactical, or is he going to try and run through me? I’m prepared for both outcomes,” Smith admitted.
The huge flyweight Muay Thai title fight takes place as the co-main event at ONE 169, headlined by Anatoly Malykhin and Reug-Reug.