From street fighting to taking on Rodtang

EXCLUSIVE: With a love of fighting coursing through his veins, Jacob Smith has gone from brawling on the streets to taking on Rodtang inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium.

At ONE 169, in the early hours of Saturday morning in Bangkok, Thailand, the born-scrapper will put it all on the line in his bid to claim the coveted flyweight title.

Jacob Smith has gone from fighting on the streets to challenging for the ONE Championship world title

Growing up in Merseyside, Jacob Smith adored two things – football and fighting. With sporting talent in abundance, he excelled on the pitch, enjoying spells at Everton, Tranmere and Blackburn, with the potential of turning professional.

However, while he could’ve travelled the path to superstardom with the ball at his feet, by the age of 18, Smith’s life had taken a turn, with the athlete engaging in brawls on the street. And while this could’ve ended in disaster, it actually resulted in the Englishman discovering his greatest passion — Muay Thai.

Realizing he needed a way to blow off steam, his partner, who loved the adrenaline rush the sport provides, suggested he join her at the gym. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Over a decade later, the sportsman has become one of the best competitors in ONE Championship, and along with his soulmate, has welcomed two children into the world, who’ve both developed an adoration for ‘the art of eight limbs’ themselves.

Jacob Smith is from a family of Muay Thai stars

In an exclusive interview with Sporf, Smith beamed: “My missus is the one that got me into it.

“We got together when she was 18 and I was 19, and I was always up to no good and fighting on the streets. I could always have a go. It was always in me. So, she said to me one day, ‘Why don’t you stop being a d**k head and come along and give Thai boxing a go’? I’ll be honest, I thought, ‘Thai boxing, what’s that? I’ve never even heard of it’. I went down and never looked back.

“My little girl, Isamay, is ten and my little lad, Toby, is six. They’re both massively into it. They have no choice but to come to the gym every day. We run our own gym, ThaiFist. Over the last three years, my little girl has started taking it really seriously. In my opinion, she’s the best in the country in her age and weight, and I’m happy to prove that.

“My little lad started taking it a lot more seriously from a younger age, which I was happy about. I’m old school, and I’m not going to change either. I want my little boy to be rough and tough. I want him to like football and fighting. He’s a proper boy’s boy — exactly the way I want my little boy to be.”

Jacob Smith can’t wait to get his revenge on Rodtang at ONE 169

For Smith, family means everything. The brawler has an incredibly strong relationship with his Nan, who he credits for looking after him growing up, and he gets a kick out of waking up early in the morning and spending time with his wife and kids on hikes in the countryside.

And with his loved ones supporting him from home, the combat sports star has travelled to Thailand in a bid to reach his sporting destiny. But the task at hand is anything but easy, with pound-for-pound superstar, Rodtang Jitmuangnon, standing in the way of his crowning moment.

The Thai legend is renowned for his showmanship, punching himself on the chest, before unleashing devastating shots that almost always result in his opponents crashing towards the canvas. However, when he first faced off with Smith back in 2022, he showed a great deal of respect for the Liverpool fan’s power, en route to walking away with a unanimous decision victory.

Therefore, having shared three rounds with the legend, Smith has downloaded the data, and believes he’s capable of defeating whichever version of the icon turns up, to claim the biggest prize in Muay Thai.

The 32-year-old explained: “When I first fought Rodtang, I was preparing for Rodtang the Iron Man, banging his own chin, banging his chest, screaming in people’s faces. And I didn’t get that Rodtang. I got a tactical and more patient version of him. So, I’m prepared for whether he’s gonna fly out and fly at me and try to walk through me like he does with everybody else, or whether he tries to be more patient and not give me any free shots. Game on.”

Featured Image Credit: ONE Championship