Rodtang just annihilated Takeru with an absolute belter of a shot to write the next chapter of his incredible story.
On March 23, ‘Iron Man’ went head-to-head with his rival in away territory at ONE 172 inside the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
While his opponent had the backing of the crowd, Rodtang didn’t seem to mind, refusing to refrain from launching powerful shots.
And it didn’t take long for his dynamite hands to land on the target.
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Rodtang knocks out Takeru in the first round at ONE 172
In a truly sensational performance, Rodtang came out with a point to prove, quickly making his presence felt with leg kicks.
Aiming to match what his opponent was bringing to the table, Takeru began to fire off some kicks of his own.
However, in the end, he was no match for the Thai, who marched him towards the corner before launching a spectacular left hand that sent him flying toward the canvas and subsequently finished the fight.
The remarkable stoppage that came just 80 seconds into the first round, earned the legend a $50,000 performance of the night bonus, and improved his record to 274-43.
The icon is now in a fantastic position to fight for the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title, or go head-to-head with Superlek once again for the promotion’s flyweight kickboxing crown.
Superlek loses to Nabil Anane at ONE 172
While Rodtang’s fight couldn’t have gone any better, it was a complete nightmare for Superlek.
The striking genius lost his belt after failing to meet the rehydration limit.
The mega rematch against Nabil Anane was dropped down the card and turned into a three-round non-title bout.
While no longer for the championship, the underdog still put everything on the line, producing a masterful showing, knocking the all-time great down, en route to claiming a unanimous decision victory.