One Championship announced a special rules fight involving 2 of the biggest names in combat sport
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- A special rules fight between two of the biggest names in combat sport takes place December 5.
- Demetrious Johnson will fight Rodtang Jitmuangnon, One Championship confirmed Wednesday.
- The match will feature alternative rounds of Muay Thai and MMA.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Two of the biggest names in combat sports collide December 5 for a special rules fight, One Championship announced Wednesday on Twitter.
The landmark bout involves Demetrious Johnson, the company's former flyweight grand prix champion, against Rodtang Jitmuangnon, one of the marquee names in Muay Thai.
The match will feature alternative rounds of Muay Thai rules and mixed martial arts rules, starting with an opening round of stand-up.
-ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) September 15, 2021
The fight follows One Championship boss Chatri Sityodtong's confirmation to Insider earlier this year that Bangkok-based Rodtang could transition from his combat discipline to MMA.
"He's still young and he's told me he wants to do MMA," Sityodtong told Insider in April.
Rodtang is one of the most TV-friendly athletes that One Championship has in its stable. The 24-year-old is renowned for walking through untold amounts of punishment as he looks to land knockout strikes of his own.
As One Championship's flyweight Muay Thai champion, Rodtang carries a considerable amount of cache in the promotion.
However, against Johnson, he competes against one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts history.
American fighter Johnson ruled the UFC's flyweight division for a six-year period, left the Las Vegas-headquartered promotion to join the Singapore-based One Championship, and won three fights in a row.
After winning the company's flyweight grand prix, Johnson challenged Adriano Moraes for the flyweight championship but came unstuck when Moraes overpowered him with punches and a knee strike.
The special rules match with Rodtang will be Johnson's first since losing to Moraes.
Rodtang, though, must first emerge unscathed from an October 15 flyweight kickboxing bout against Daniel Puertas before he can face Johnson.
That fight will take place during One Championship's "First Strike" event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang.