Tenshin Nasukawa has a date for his final kickboxing fight but he does not have an opponent. The Japanese star will compete on April 2nd and he knows who he wants to face.
According to Gong Katukogi he declared that he wants to face Rodtang Jitmuangnon for the second time. Tenshin did acknowledge that there were contractual issues which would need to be resolved.
Tenshin’s final fight is set for a Rise event at the Maruzen Intec Arena in Osaka. Meanwhile Rodtang has an exclusive contract with ONE Championship and is due to face Demetrious Johnson in a mixed rules bout in early 2022.
Rodtang does not have a date for that fight, the ONE: ‘X’ card was postponed due to Covid-19. But he is the promotion’s reigning flyweight champion and it is unlikely Rise would be allowed to borrow him for a one off fight.
Tenshin’s win over Rodtang in 2018 was extremely debatable. It went to an extra round despite the Thai fighter appearing to have clearly got the better of the fight.
In the end the three Japanese judges all awarded the decision to Tenshin. But the success which both men have gone on to enjoy subsequently has made the prospect of a rematch extremely enticing.
Tenshin is set to switch to boxing next year, turning his back on kickboxing and Muay Thai. He is set to fight two more times before then and would like to face Rodtang in his final bout.
It sounds like a long shot but it is a fight that kickboxing and Muay Thai fans would love to see.
