Rodtang Jitmuangnon has converted to Islam. The reigning ONE Championship flyweight Muay Thai champion declares the shahādah, the Muslim profession of faith, ahead of his wedding to Aida Looksaikongdin.
Rodtang discussed his conversion to Islam during a recent live stream according to SCMP. Prior to the wedding he became Buddhist monk for a brief period but the Muay Thai veteran is now a Muslim.
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Two sport
Rodtang currently has two title fights booked. At ONE Fight Night 8 on March 25th he will challenge Superlek Kiatmoo9 for the flyweight kickboxing title in Singapore.
Rodtang will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Sam-A Gaiyanghadao, Janet Todd and Stamp Fairtex by winning ONE Championship titles in two different sports. A few weeks later he will be putting his Muay Thai title on the line.
On May 5th Rodtang faces Edgar Tabares at ONE Fight Night 10. That title match will be taking place in Colorado, the promotion’s first ever fight card on American soil.
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New schedule
That fighters are used to competing every five or six weeks so the quick turnaround won’t bother Rodtang. But he has cancelled a series of seminars that were scheduled to take place in the US.
Rodtang is clearly taking his upcoming fights very seriously. It could prove to be a pivotal few weeks in the career of the 25 year old, if everything goes according to plan he will be the proud owner of two ONE Championship titles at the end of it.
But Puertas and Superlek will be doing their best to ensure that everything does not go according to plan for Rodtang. His fight with the latter will be the first time he has ever faced a fellow Thai on a ONE Championship card.
Puertas is making his ONE Championship debut and comes in as something of an unknown quantity. The Mexican will be looking to become the first foreign fighter to ever beat Rodtang.
It looks set to be a busy year for Rodtang. We are only in February and he has already won a kickboxing fight, got married and changed his religion!
