"The time has come for us to meet" - Rodtang ready to face mentor, brother Nong-O in epic showdown for vacant gold

Rodtang Jitmuangnon never wanted this fight, but destiny has forced his hand in the most emotionally complex battle of his career.

The 28-year-old Thai megastar faces his mentor and friend Nong-O Hama for the vacant ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena on Sunday, Nov. 16.

In a pre-fight interview with ONE Championship ahead of their highly anticipated clash, 'The Iron Man' opened up about the deep respect he holds for Nong-O and why he tried to avoid this matchup for as long as possible.

"I respect and look up to Nong-O as my teacher. He always took care of me. I even said back then that I never wanted to face Nong-O in ONE because I respect him so much," Rodtang told the promotion.

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"But it has come to the point where we have to find the undisputed #1 in the division. Since both Nong-O and I are in the rankings, the time has come for us to meet. I had to reluctantly agree," he continued.

Could Rodtang overcome the emotional weight of facing his mentor to capture vacant flyweight gold, or will Nong-O's wisdom prove too much? Share your predictions below!

Fight fans can watch this all-Thai classic by purchasing their PPV passes for ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri by visiting live.onefc.com. The blockbuster event inside Tokyo's Ariake Arena features five world title fights across MMA, Muay Thai, and kickboxing.

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Rodtang grateful for another opportunity to fight in Japan

Speaking to the world's largest martial arts organization, Rodtang revealed that he's on cloud nine for the chance to fight in 'The Land of the Rising Sun' this Sunday.

"I'm really happy to have the chance to go back and fight in Japan again," the Jitmuangnon Gym martial artist continued. "As I've said, every time I've been interviewed, Japan is like my second home. I have to thank all the fans who welcomed me so well. I feel the happiest when I go to fight there."

In his last outing in Japan, 'The Iron Man' pulled off one of the most shocking results in martial arts history.

The Thai megastar, a former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion, knocked out Japan's very own Takeru Segawa inside just 80 seconds of their flyweight kickboxing joust at ONE 172 in Saitama.

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Edited by Aziel Karthak