The former ONE flyweight Muay Thai champion posted on social media that he will “step back into the ring” on Oct 28, the same date as a Muay Thai event scheduled for ICONSIAM in Bangkok, though he did not name an opponent, promotion or venue.
The timing was hard to miss, reports the Bangkok Post.
Rodtang’s post came around the time Chatri was attending the grand opening of Evolve MMA’s new gym at EmSphere in Bangkok on Wednesday (July 8), where the ONE chairman and CEO was asked by Thai media outlet Muay Thai Stand about the chances of “The Iron Man” returning to the promotion.
“I think Rodtang is a really good kid, really,” Chatri, who also hosted a BJJ self-defence class at the event, said. “His heart is very good, but there are people in his ears.
“Many people say when you are a famous fighter and rich, owning many things, new people come along, get inside your ears, and he is a bit lost.
“For Rodtang, he is a good kid, a very good kid. He has talent. He should have bigger opportunities than this, right?
“But I know, last year, he got a new manager in his ear, and he made mistakes.”
ONE does not currently have an event announced for Oct 28.
ICONIC MUAY THAI is, however, scheduled to take place at ICONSIAM in Bangkok on that date, with promotional material billing it as “the biggest martial arts spectacle of the year”.
Rodtang did not name the promotion, opponent or venue in his post.
“On October 28, I step back into the ring with one purpose – to reclaim my pride, honour my country, and remind the world what the fighting spirit of Thailand truly means,” Rodtang wrote.
“Every day until then is dedicated to recovery, discipline, and relentless training. I’m pushing myself to return in the best shape of my life, because when the bell rings, there will be no excuses – only heart, determination, and the will to win.
“October 28. The comeback begins. Be ready.”
The post could become the latest flashpoint in Rodtang’s increasingly bitter contract row with ONE.
The Thai superstar’s ONE contract has expired but company sources told the Bangkok Post in March he remained tied to the promotion through a 12-month matching period – a position that helped spark a shocking public dispute between ONE and its biggest star.
If that matching period is still in force, any fight outside ONE could potentially escalate the legal dispute further.
ONE has already filed legal action in Thailand seeking up to 542 million baht, around UScopy7 million, in damages, with proceedings also active in Singapore and Japan.
Chatri was careful not to go too deep into the ongoing legal process on Wednesday.
“We have to see first, because the lawyer in Singapore, the lawyer in Japan, the lawyer here in Thailand, our office, they handle it,” he said. “I don’t know everything, in every country.”
It is not the first time Chatri has suggested Rodtang let fame and fortune affect him.
After Rodtang was stopped by Takeru Segawa at ONE Samurai 1 in Tokyo, Chatri said at the post-event press conference that “we saw what happens when you make a lot of money and fame gets to your head”.
Rodtang had been dropped four times before referee Olivier Coste waved off the fight in the fifth round – the first stoppage defeat of “The Iron Man’s” career in 13 years.
The result came after months of legal turmoil between Rodtang and ONE.
Rodtang alleged his signature had been forged across multiple documents and took the matter to police, while ONE rejected those allegations and launched legal proceedings over alleged contract breaches.
The Thai star still fought Takeru in Tokyo, but the wider dispute has continued behind the scenes.
Wednesday’s Evolve MMA opening was attended by several of ONE’s biggest Thai stars, including Tawanchai PK Saenchai, Superbon, Nong-O Hama, Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon and Petchtanong Petchfergus.
Aliff Sor Dechapan and Sam-A Gaiyanghadao also faced off at the event – where they both took part in open workouts – ahead of their interim title fight.
Chatri also confirmed to Thai media that Asadula Imangazaliev and Aslamjon Ortikov will rematch for the ONE flyweight Muay Thai title in November.
Imangazaliev edged Ortikov by split decision at The Inner Circle 20 to claim the vacant belt, but the result sparked debate inside Lumpinee Stadium and online.
The Russian suffered a broken nose during the fight, with November now expected to give him time to recover before running it back with Ortikov.
For Rodtang, however, the path remains far less clear.
He never lost the ONE flyweight Muay Thai title in the ring, having been stripped on the scales in November 2024 before his fight with Jacob Smith.
He would ordinarily loom as an obvious future challenger for Imangazaliev, who has previously called for the fight.
But with ONE’s legal action still moving forward, and Rodtang now appearing to announce an Oct 28 comeback outside the promotion, the divide between the two sides may be widening again.