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Muay Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon rejoins ONE Championship

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Muay Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon rejoins ONE Championship

For one Thai fighter, walking away was never really an option. The pull of the ring, and the people it provides for, brought him right back.

Rodtang Jitmuangnon has officially re-signed with ONE Championship, ending months of speculation about his future in the sport. The news came from a press conference at Jitmuangnon Gym in Nonthaburi, Thailand, on July 23, his birthday.

Rodtang made his promotional debut in 2018 and wasted no time announcing himself as a force the flyweight Muay Thai division had never seen before. After four consecutive victories, he earned a shot at then-champion Jonathan Haggerty in 2019 and outclassed the British star to claim the gold.

The former ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion built the greatest reign the division has ever seen from there, only to lose the title in 2024 after missing weight ahead of a defense against Jacob Smith.

He answered by demolishing Takeru Segawa in 80 seconds at ONE 172 in March 2025, before Segawa reversed the result at ONE SAMURAI 1 earlier this year, stopping Rodtang in the fifth round to claim the ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Title.

Rodtang Jitmuangnon eyes a path back to gold

Rodtang Jitmuangnon's announcement brought together key figures from both sides of his career, a signal of how significant his return is considered within the organization. Moreover, his manager Sorapong Jitsuntorn joined ONE Championship Thailand President Jitinat Asdamongkol at the gym where his legend began.

Gym owners Somjit Waenkaew and Suntaree Lohaphak rounded out the group, tying the announcement directly back to the Jitmuangnon camp that shaped him. Rodtang now returns to the promotion determined to reclaim a title he believes he never lost in the ring.

“I don't think any other career could have given me the recognition and ability to provide for my family the way being a fighter has,†Rodtang said.

“I'll keep giving it my all until I no longer have the strength to fight.â€

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MMA

Joshua Van reveals why he used to flip Dustin Poirier fight footage

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Joshua Van reveals why he used to flip Dustin Poirier fight footage
Joshua
Van studies footage of fellow fighters who have a style similar
to his.

Van recently revealed that he used to flip tape of Dustin
Poirier to pick up techniques. He explains that he used to flip
the footage because he is orthodox while Poirier is a southpaw. Van
studies tape of other elite fighters like Ilia
Topuria, who have a boxing-based style like him. However, Van's
favorite fighter to study is fellow
Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Petr Yan.

Joshua Van explains how Dustin Poirier, Petr Yan and Ilia
Topuria influence his striking

Van defended his title for the second time at UFC
331, putting his renowned boxing on display to defeat Alexandre
Pantoja in their rematch. “The Fearless†revealed in a recent
interview that he actively studies Yan's hands and incorporates
what he can into his own arsenal.

“He's got my style of fighting,†Van told Ariel Helwani. “He's a
boxing-based fighter, kind of like Petr Yan, Ilia. I like to study
one of the greats and just put it into my game… Petr Yan really is
the one that I really watch.â€

Van has emerged as a fan favorite for his fighting style. His next
challenger hasn't been revealed yet, with Manel Kape
being the frontrunner. Meanwhile, Yan is scheduled to defend his
title in a trilogy bout against Merab Dvalishvili at
UFC 333.

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MMA

UFC 331 upset winner reveals ‘crazy’ decisions behind $600K debt

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UFC 331 upset winner reveals ‘crazy’ decisions behind $600K debt
Sean
Sharaf is planning on getting a financial advisor after making
several terrible decisions.

Sharaf (5-2) was a massive underdog going into his
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight bout against
Gable
Steveson at UFC
331, where he recorded a 12-second knockout in a historic
upset. He revealed before the bout that he was in heavy debt.

Sean Sharaf discusses ‘crazy' ways he blew up money to end up
in debt

Sharaf earned a $50,000 promotional bonus from Paramount+ for his
win over Steveson. Dana
White added $50,000 of his own to double Sharaf's bonus, while
revealing that the UFC heavyweight was $600,000 in debt.

Sharaf recently revealed how he gradually came under massive debt.
The former U.S. Marine admits to making terrible financial
decisions like buying a truck he couldn't afford. Sharaf also
started gambling when he first moved to Las Vegas in the hope of
meeting White, who frequents casinos.

Sharaf eventually had to borrow money from his mother. He took an
advance from his management company for UFC 331 so that he could
train in Vegas, as he lives with his mother in California now.
Sharaf barely has any assets in his name and banks regularly keep
hounding him. However, his life will hopefully change after his
last win, considering he plans to consult a financial advisor
now.

“I just made a lot of very crazy financial decisions,†Sharaf told
ESPN MMA. “So, I had a TRX I couldn't afford. Blew $120,000 on that
thing. I was trying to help my mom sometimes. But more times I
actually had borrowed money from her. I got an advance on my purse
from my management so I could have my camp in Vegas… I gambled a
lot of money when I first moved to Vegas. I was trying to meet
Dana… I don't have anything in my name. The banks call you every
single day… I think I'm getting a financial advisor.â€

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Marlon Vera reveals $200K robbery on eve of Sean O’Malley title fight

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Marlon Vera reveals $200K robbery on eve of Sean O’Malley title fight
Marlon
Vera's house was broken into while he was getting ready to
challenge Sean
O’Malley for the title.

Vera made an unsuccessful
Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight title bid against
O'Malley in 2024 in Miami. He recently revealed that his house in
California was broken into the night before the fight. When the
cameras went off at night, Vera's wife thought it was due to a
power cut. The next morning, the police informed Vera that his
house had been robbed.

Marlon Vera says his watch collection was stolen from his
California home before UFC 299

Vera wasn't happy to hear the news just hours before the biggest
fight of his career. Vera's watch collection, worth approximately
$200,000, was stolen. While someone informed Vera about a suspect,
the police never caught the culprit. Vera also believes it could be
someone who knew him, as they entered, found the watch collection
without rummaging through the house and exited within five
minutes.

“The night before the fight, the cameras went off,†Vera told
Michael
Bisping. “My wife was like, ‘Oh, maybe it's the electricity.'
The next morning, I wake up like, ‘F*ck yeah, title fight. Today
life changed.' Then the phone rings and the cops are like, ‘Hey
dude, they just robbed your house last night around 7 p.m.' I said,
‘Right now I don't have time for this; I'm fighting tonight.' The
cops know who I am; they were like, ‘No, we get it; we just thought
we’d let you know.' I'm like, ‘Wrong time to let me know.' They
told me they took my safe. I lost like $200K because I'm a watch
collector. Those were kind of investments. Those watches are money.
I'm counting in my head like, ‘Now I'm $200K short.' The cops never
found the guy. I have a photo and I have this random person
accusing, like, ‘Oh, I know this guy. His name is blah, blah.' The
guy came in, took the safe and took it through the front door. It
took him five minutes.â€

Vera (24-12) went on a four-fight skid starting with the failed
title challenge against O'Malley. “Chito†finally ended the slump
with a stoppage win over Charles
Jourdain at UFC 331.

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