Rodtang's lawyer is unsure whether "Rodtang Jitmuangnon" will be able to fight at "ONE Samurai 1" on 29 Apr 2026 in Japan due to possible legal implications.
On 18 Apr 2026, Santivat Sangwarna, lawyer for Rodtang Jitmuangnon, a renowned Thai fighter, addressed the issue of whether his client will fight Takeru Segawa at "ONE Samurai 1" at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, contesting the interim ONE Kickboxing Flyweight World Championship belt (125-135 lbs) on 29 Apr 2026, amid potential legal concerns.
Santivat Sangwarna, Rodtang's lawyer, stated, "Rodtang's legal team wishes to clarify that since this matter is under judicial consideration, we must respect the legal process and refrain from commenting or overstepping regarding the case facts publicly. However, the team affirms there is clear and sufficient evidence to present to the court for a thorough examination of all relevant facts."
"Regarding the scheduled fight in Japan on 29 Apr 2026, Rodtang clearly maintains his intent and readiness to travel and compete as planned. Nevertheless, currently, Rodtang's legal team is coordinating with ONE Championship's legal team, having
requested delivery of the "original contract copy" fully executed as per company standards since 2022, because to date Rodtang's team views the contract as incomplete and potentially non-binding under the law. Rodtang has only received a "contract copy," a scanned document sent by email in Nov 2025, bearing only his signature, with no signing by authorized ONE officials, causing significant concern for Rodtang's team.
"Without binding signatures from the other party's authorized representatives, the contract may lack legal effect, including coverage for accidents or incidents during work or competition. Rodtang's lawyers have formally requested ONE Championship's lawyers to provide the correct, complete contract copy to Rodtang by 18 Apr 2026. Additionally, there is a critical issue arising from communication by ONE Championship's Singapore legal counsel, who emailed Rodtang and his team stating, '...your contract with ONE should be treated as frozen...' which implies that Rodtang's contract with ONE is in a temporarily suspended status."
"(Frozen) (due to ongoing legal proceedings in multiple countries, as noted previously)"
"This wording leads Rodtang's lawyers to interpret it as an implicit suspension of Rodtang's fight in Japan on 29 Apr 2026. Nonetheless, coordination is ongoing with ONE's Singapore legal team to obtain official clarity on whether Rodtang may still participate under this status, ensuring compliance and protection of all parties' rights."
"Regarding speculation that Rodtang intends to change camps for better benefits, his team confirms that before the 2022 contract expired in Mar 2026, Rodtang's lawyers had been continuously negotiating with ONE Championship since Jan 2026 to amend and improve contract terms."
"This included joint meetings among ONE executives, Rodtang, and his legal team in late Feb 2026 to resolve contract issues. However, to date, Rodtang's team has not received a new contract draft from ONE, reflecting Rodtang's sincere intention to maintain contractual relations."
"Rodtang's team thanks all media for their interest and requests that information be reported from official sources. Any further updates will be communicated in due course. Rodtang's legal team, 18 Apr 2026."