Elias Mahmoudi believes his fight with Denis Puric should be a title eliminator for the vacant ONE Championship flyweight Muay Thai belt.
The pair will clash at ONE Fight Night 26 inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on December 7, with their division now in an interesting state of limbo.
Rodtang Jitmuangnon’s five-year title reign came to an abrupt end when he missed weight for a planned defence against Jacob Smith earlier this month.
The Thai icon vowed to regain his throne after dispatching Smith with ease, but Mahmoudi insists “The Iron Man” will have to go through him.
“Honestly, I would have liked this fight against Denis to be five rounds for the interim title, which would have guaranteed me a fight for the official title in case of victory,” Mahmoudi told the Bangkok Post.
“All of the fans want to see me face Rodtang, but it depends on Boss Chatri [Sityodtong, ONE chairman and CEO].”
When the Bangkok Post asked Rodtang at November 9’s ONE 169 post fight press conference if he would like to face the winner between Puric and Mahmoudi for the vacant title, the former champion smiled.
“No, I want to face Takeru next,” he said, suggesting he is already locked in for a kickboxing superfight against the Japanese legend.
“I think that I deserve the title fight, 100 percent,” the French Algerian “Sniper” added, however. “I have only one goal, which is to get the belt back and bring it to the Mahmoudi gym.”
Puric is coming off a decision loss to Rodtang in their kickboxing fight at ONE 167, for which the Thai also missed weight.
The No 3-ranked bantamweight is keen to have another crack with the title on the line, and a win over the dangerous Mahmoudi would most likely seal the deal.
“I have a lot of respect for Denis and his career – he is the kind of fighter who does not open his mouth on social media and does the work in the ring,” Mahmoudi added.
“Denis had a very good fight against Rodtang but I am not Rodtang. He only comes to win – I come to get the double bonus.”
