[ad_1]
Rodtang Jetmuangnon didn’t look this down in any fight until he met Walter Goncalves in ONE: Century Part II. Muay Thai strikers collide on October 13, 2019 inside the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena in Tokyo, Japan.
No less than today, the “iron man” was at the peak of his career, having convincingly defeated the former world champion in the flyweight division Jonathan Haggerty by knockout two months ago.
He single-handedly raised the bar in terms of dexterity and skill until they were severely challenged by Brazilian debutante ‘Iron Hands’ Walter Goncalves.
The young Brazilian took center stage for the first time in his ONE career with previous Muay Thai fighting experience – an important asset to his game, as you’ll find out later.
He trained under the legendary Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Sagaphet and went on to win 70 Muay Thai fights before going unnoticed at the ONE Championship in 2019.
Accustomed to the Thai fighting style, Goncalves certainly showed experience beyond his years when he was trading with Rodtang. From the outset, Goncalves’ stunning combos found their mark despite being under cage pressure.
Later, Rodtang picked up the slack with some severity after he was knocked down in one round. Both men traded strike for strike, throwing their hands in the power of the swinging knockout.
Goncalves showed great awareness, dancing off Rudtang’s right hand and blocking counter-blows of his own, often frustrating the Thai champion.
In the fourth round, it was clear that Rodtang was making mistakes. His leg kicks were often caught and blocked, and he missed a lot of powerful shots, which Goncalves avoided perfectly, sweeping his feet into the clinch.
Rodtang was too frustrated to find an income and frequently complained to the referee, accusing Goncalves of ducking on purpose.
Goncalves was clearly comfortable chopping him to bits on the outside, but Rodtang never stopped getting his foot on the gas. He had great shots in the championship round to bring down Goncalves, which was the deciding factor in a close match.
Rodtang clinched the victory via a split decision to retain the Muay Thai flyweight belt, but Goncalves walked away with a newfound reputation.
Before Rodang’s next match for the World Championship is announced, a never-before-seen re-watch of Iron Man against Walter Goncalves is tested below:
[ad_2]
