How good/big is Rodtang?

[JustOnce]

So Rodtang seems like he's a name, one of the non-MMA stars that ONEfc seems to try to push.

Because I haven't really followed the guy, I can't really place him in terms of how good he is, and how big he is in terms of star power.

For me, I followed the sport much, much more during k-1/k-1 Max days, but nowadays just try to catch big, interesting fights, so if we were to compare Rodtang to Buakaw, in terms of skills and star power, how close is Rodtang to Buakaw?

The fghts I watched of Rodtang, he looks pretty good to me, but not sure how he stacks up against the elites of elites.

 

[Monte Moku]

if we were to compare Rodtang to Buakaw, in terms of skills and star power, how close is Rodtang to Buakaw?

Different weight classes, different eras, different styles, competing (primarily) in different sports. The only thing they have in common is that they are Thai. Not really comparable.

 

[JustOnce]

Different weight classes, different eras, different styles, competing (primarily) in different sports. The only thing they have in common is that they are Thai. Not really comparable.

I mean to rephrase, how good is Rodtang in terms of his skills and how big of a star is he?

I just used Buakaw, just as a reference point, it doesn't have to be Buakaw. It wasn't to compare the two, but more of a measuring stick I guess you could say.

 

[Kanka]

Probably the biggest star due to his chin. However, while he has a good record, it is not extraordinary.

 

[Monte Moku]

I mean to rephrase, how good is Rodtang in terms of his skills and how big of a star is he?

I just used Buakaw, just as a reference point, it doesn't have to be Buakaw. It wasn't to compare the two, but more of a measuring stick I guess you could say.

He is a high level fighter, win or lose he would give any of the elites in his division a good fight imo. It is hard to gauge star power in the modern era since followers, likes, comments, etc. can be bought (and I wouldn't put it past ONE to do that stuff), but for a KB/MT guy he is very popular.

 

[JustOnce]

Probably the biggest star due to his chin. However, while he has a good record, it is not extraordinary.

So he's not as good as Buakaw in his prime. Or about.

Because I remember my muay thai coach like 20+ years ago telling me Buakaw is dime a dozen in Thailand.

Never really believed him, but I don't think Buakaw is that revered by hardcores either.

 

[JustOnce]

He is a high level fighter, win or lose he would give any of the elites in his division a good fight imo. It is hard to gauge star power in the modern era since followers, likes, comments, etc. can be bought (and I wouldn't put it past ONE to do that stuff), but for a KB/MT guy he is very popular.

I mean, there are many high level fighters though. I guess the question was how high level are his skills, considering yes he's a great fighter, but how would he stack up against best of the best, using Buakaw to compare him againt, who in his own case may not be considered the elite in muay thai by hardcores.

 

[Monte Moku]

I mean, there are many high level fighters though. I guess the question was how high level are his skills, considering yes he's a great fighter, but how would he stack up against best of the best, using Buakaw to compare him again, who in his own case may not be the elite in muay thai by hardcores.

It's hard to say man, the Thai circuit is impossible to keep up with in the west so I couldn't even list for you all of the top guys in his weight class. He's been doing some good ol' farang crushing in ONE, so we don't know if his skills have degraded. There's not really a clear answer to your question. He's probably elite - he's beaten elite guys at least, but hasn't fought anyone of note since 2020. With a proper training camp? Probably elite. Superlek beats him though, imo

 

[JustOnce]

It's hard to say man, the Thai circuit is impossible to keep up with in the west so I couldn't even list for you all of the top guys in his weight class. He's been doing some good ol' farang crushing in ONE, so we don't know if his skills have degraded. There's not really a clear answer to your question. He's probably elite - he's beaten elite guys at least, but hasn't fought anyone of note since 2020. With a proper training camp? Probably elite. Superlek beats him though, imo

It's always a bit odd to me, kinda like Buakaw, the biggest stars seem to be guys who might not actually be elites of the elites. Great for sure, but might not be someone like Samart or Somrak, two guys I like a lot.

 

[UWanaPlayDaGame]

So he's not as good as Buakaw in his prime. Or about.

Because I remember my muay thai coach like 20+ years ago telling me Buakaw is dime a dozen in Thailand.

Never really believed him, but I don't think Buakaw is that revered by hardcores either.

your coach was right. not to disregard Buakaw - he was great - but Muay Thai in Thailand is an endless revolving door with hungry young fighters showing up, beating big names, then losing themselves, over and over and over. Buakaw was one of those guys, crossed over to K-1 very young and never faced the same level of consistent competition anymore.

Rodtang was IMO just a tiny bit below the elite in Muay Thai in terms of skill - he lost decisively to Kaonar in their biggest fight -, crossed over to One and has been facing mid-level competition at best for the last years. It's hard to even gauge how good he is right now because he didn't take serious fights in a considerable time. He has the tools to be a tough matchup for everybody except the very elite technical fighters, due to his ability to press forward and rely on his chin.

In terms of star power, I would guess he is more known in the west today than Buakaw was in his prime. Probably every single person who has ever watched a couple fight videos have had a Rodtang reel show up to them. In Thailand (and Japan probably) Buakaw is by far the biggest star, especially considering that most Thais don't follow Muay Thai but know Buakaw.

 

[Kanka]

I think at the weights 125-135 lbs, Buakaw beats Rodtang with ease.

 

[SuperLuigi]

Both are very elite, who essentially achieved being the best at their weight for at least a brief moment, but neither are ATG level(when only considering MT rules).

In terms of being big as in a popularity contest, Buakaw and Badr Hari are in a league of their own, several levels above anyone else.

 

[machida90]

I think it’s too early to answer this question, it depends on what ONE will became in 10 years;
They are trying to make muay thai way more popular worldwide and they have found a formula that is just perfect to make this sport exciting for the western audience

The thing is that Rodtang has been the best example of what western audience want to see, and One is trying to find other stars similar to Rodtang
Many are fighting like him in the Lumpinee cards

So is Rodtang the best muay thai fighter today? No, but who cares?
He may became more popular than that

 

[Kanka]

Both are very elite, who essentially achieved being the best at their weight for at least a brief moment, but neither are ATG level(when only considering MT rules).

In terms of being big as in a popularity contest, Buakaw and Badr Hari are in a league of their own, several levels above anyone else.

I think Buakaw is up there among ATG in Kickboxing. Certainly at 70 kg.

 

[TJ Dillashank]

MT was and still is full of absolute monsters and Buakaw was one of them. He just happened to cross over to kickboxing and become a superstar. Despite losing every now and then Buakaw was one of the best in the world. Rodtang is great obviously and elite despite what many people might tell you. His problem is that he rarely faces other elite competition. In a world where the best fight the best all the time he is padding his record keeping the hype train moving.

 

[jono83]

So he's not as good as Buakaw in his prime. Or about.

Because I remember my muay thai coach like 20+ years ago telling me Buakaw is dime a dozen in Thailand.

Never really believed him, but I don't think Buakaw is that revered by hardcores either.

Yeah your coach was correct in saying that. Buakaw was never an elite level fighter in Thailand, he never won a Lumpinee title or a Rajadamnern title, but he did become one of the best kickboxers ever when he crossed over to K-1.

 

[jono83]

MT was and still is full of absolute monsters and Buakaw was one of them. He just happened to cross over to kickboxing and become a superstar. Despite losing every now and then Buakaw was one of the best in the world. Rodtang is great obviously and elite despite what many people might tell you. His problem is that he rarely faces other elite competition. In a world where the best fight the best all the time he is padding his record keeping the hype train moving.

He was a monster under kickboxing rules but he was never a monster in Thailand’s stadiums. He never won a Lumpinee title or Raja title. He did fight Orono twice in Thailand and lost both times but he’s without a doubt one of the greatest kickboxers of all time.

 

[Snubnoze707]

Yeah your coach was correct in saying that. Buakaw was never an elite level fighter in Thailand, he never won a Lumpinee title or a Rajadamnern title, but he did become one of the best kickboxers ever when he crossed over to K-1.

True, but he was certainly in the mix with the elite in MT before moving his career internationally. He won the Thailand and Omnoi belts and won the Toyota Cup. Hard to say if he had stayed in the stadiums he wouldn't have eventually got one of those titles because IMO he peaked in Kickboxing rules not before like most Thais that transition.

 

[SuperLuigi]

iirc wasnt Buakaw ranked #1 at Lumpinee and only didnt fight for the belt because his teammate was Namsaknoi who was the champion and defended the title for like 6 years? A belt is just a promotional tool, Somrak is another elite guy who never won a belt.

 

[Snubnoze707]

What I've noticed about Buakaw having followed his career since he entered K-1 MAX is that there is a very vocal mostly casual level fan base that over hypes him as the GOAT, and as a result there is a Muay Thai Hipster element that goes overboard claiming he was a nobody to counter that narrative.

I'd say he is definitely elite. In Kickboxing it's without question, but I'd argue for Muay Thai as well even though it gets muddy since he left the sport for quite a while during his peak years. He was essentially a representative for the style of Muay Thai within Kickboxing. Clearly an outstanding ambassador for Muay Thai and made A LOT of people, including myself, a fan of Muay Thai as a sport and as a style of fighting.

With Rodtang it's not quite as big of a deal since there are a lot of Thais representing for the sport internationally now. That wasn't the case 20 years ago when Buakaw was doing it.