Thai megastar Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon is pulling out all the stops to ensure that his weight and fitness are on point for his five-round flyweight kickboxing super-fight against Takeru “Natural Born Krusher” Segawa in the main event of ONE 172 this Sunday, March 23.
That highly anticipated pay-per-view fight is now just days away, and Rodtang has made significant changes to his diet, nutrition, and training regimen.
In his most recent appearance at ONE 169 last November, the 27-year-old failed to make weight while hydrated for his ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title defense against Jacob Smith.
While “The Iron Man” won the fight in sterling fashion, his miss on the scale forced him to relinquish the belt, which he had successfully defended five times to cement himself as one of Muay Thai’s most dominant World Champions.
Looking back, Rodtang told onefc.com that he was crushed to lose his World Title that way – but that he’s using the disappointment as fuel this time around:
“I tried my best to make weight, especially since it was a World Title defense. No one wants to lose, but when you lose, you have to accept it.
“Of course, I felt so sad because I had kept this belt for so long. I defended it many times, but I lost it to the scale, not to my opponent. I was devastated, but it was a huge motivation for me.”
To be sure he doesn’t make the same mistake again, Rodtang started working with a nutritionist who plans and portions all of his meals.
He’s also cut out his biggest indulgences from his diet and is happy to report that he’s been shedding pounds each and every week:
“I’ve prepared my body very well for this fight. Thanks to Peter, the nutritionist who came to take care of my diet.
“I also have to thank my family and my wife’s family who always tell me not to eat fried food or sweets. Plus, I train in the morning and evening every day. My weight is gradually going down, as I’ve updated on my social media.”