“Before the fight was made, everyone around the world said Rodtang was scared and the fights would never happen but I know these guys behind the scenes,” Chatri said.
“I talk to these guys all the time. Rodtang is not scared of anybody. This guy is on a tear and a high in his career. He hasn’t been beaten in many years. When you have that confidence you’re unbreakable.
“Talk to experts around the world and in Thailand. People think Superlek is going to win, but I don’t know. The more I think … Rodtang has been training very hard.
Takeru ‘itching’ to make debut – but ONE may not wait for Rodtang
Takeru ‘itching’ to make debut – but ONE may not wait for Rodtang
“He was not training at all before, I think he trained two days for the Edgar Tabares fight, literally a two-day camp, and his wife outed him on that one. I had no idea he trained two days, but that’s the level of talent he has.
“That’s the downfall of every great fighter. When you saw [Mike] Tyson in his heyday, when he was coming up he was disciplined, training like a mad man. But towards the end of his career when he lost to Buster Douglas, he started having problems at home and then he didn’t train. Eventually got knocked out, it happens to the best of them.
“But Rodtang is very motivated, and he’s been training very hard every day. From my understanding from both camps, they are both in unbelievable shape.”
Rodtang’s preparation for the fight was questioned when a picture of him having fun with his wife and fellow fighter Aida Looksaikongdin’s family at a water park was recently posted on social media, before being deleted.
The Post understands he has also been training at his wife’s family’s gym, away from the famed Fairtex and Jitmuangnon gyms he usually makes his bases.
“It’s human nature,” Chatri added. “When you have nothing you are willing to train all day, all night. When you have everything, it really takes a special extraordinary athlete to say I want to train even harder and be the very best in history.
“I think that it’s widely known Rodtang doesn’t train very hard. Ever since he won the world title in ONE, he hasn’t been razor sharp and trained every day.
“When you have a two-day training camp, that’s pretty insane to me, actually that was shocking to me. Whereas Superlek is known to be very disciplined. He trains day in, day out, whether he has a fight or not.
“To each his own at the end of the day. Rodtang is fighting for his family, Superlek too, and for the right to be the pound-for-pound best in the world.
“By now, both are so experienced, each has fought 300 fights. I think Rodtang is up to 400. These are killers who have been fighting all their lives. They know their bodies and how to peak, they also know how to relax and stay calm and level headed.
“A lot of times in camp, when you’re training hard and being singular minded, you can almost mentally mess with yourself before you even step in the ring, so I think [the water park visit] is Rodtang’s way of letting the steam off.”
