Even before they trade blows in Tokyo, Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Nong-O Gaiyanghadao found another way to face off – this time with a game of football, and not their fists.
The two Thai legends, who will battle for the vacant flyweight Muay Thai world title at ONE 173 on November 16 in Japan, squared off at the weekend during a friendly kickabout in Bangkok between their gyms – Looksaikongdin, and Superbon Training Camp.
Fans filming from the sidelines were treated to an unlikely pre-fight encounter, as Rodtang and Nong-O bumped into each other in the canteen before the game. Rodtang’s wife, Aida Looksaikongdin, also recorded the moment as Nong-O stopped to meet their newborn son Zlatan – named after Swedish football icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Aida playfully told her infant to show respect to the Muay Thai great and call him ‘P O’ – a Thai term for seniors or bosses. The veteran smiled and quipped the baby ‘looks so much like his mother’ while turning to look at Rodtang, drawing laughter from onlookers, given that many on social media have commented the child is the spitting image of ‘The Iron Man’.
The lighthearted meeting soon turned into a mock staredown as onlookers whipped out their phones. Both men cracked smiles, with Rodtang eventually even planting a friendly kiss on Nong-O’s cheek.
That wasn’t the end of the fun. Once the match began, Rodtang – known for his explosive aggression in the ring – charged in for a tackle and took Nong-O down in a move that looked more MMA than football. The referee reached into his pocket and produced a yellow card, to the amusement of players and spectators alike.
Later that evening, a clip from a post-match barbecue showed one of Rodtang’s friends joking the pair should ‘knock each other out’ when they meet for real in November. Rodtang laughed it off. ‘Even in the coin toss he lost to me,’ he replied with a grin. ‘How can he beat me in a fight?’
The playful meeting comes just weeks before their highly anticipated showdown at Ariake Arena, which headlines ONE Championship’s blockbuster return to Japan.
Their friendship and mutual respect go back years. Both men are also devoted football fans. Rodtang famously brought a PlayStation 5 to Tokyo in March so he could play FIFA in his hotel room during fight week – and shared a few games with his nutritionist Peter Miller and the Bangkok Post after his first-round knockout of Takeru Segawa at Saitama Super Arena.
Next month’s matchup is being billed as one of the most compelling Muay Thai title fights in recent memory – and judging by their antics on the pitch, neither man has lost his competitive edge.
With the build-up to ONE 173 heating up, this unlikely football encounter was also a reminder that respect runs deep in Muay Thai – even when the tackles fly.