Being Rodtang's Agent: How My Journey into Combat Sports Agency Happened Overnight
My journey to becoming an agent was literally overnight. You may or may not know, but my career in agency skyrocketed the moment I signed Rodtang as my first client for my then-newly established combat sports agency. I had already spent a lot of time in Thailand before even considering agency work, trying my hand at producing a martial arts reality show (which, honestly, ended in a bust). Still, I connected with a lot of key people.
While out there, I was trying to work my way into contact with two legends: Saenchai, the Muay Thai “Tom Brady,” and Rodtang, ONE Championship’s rising young star. At the time, Rodtang wasn’t well-known outside Southeast Asia, but he was gaining popularity fast, especially after taking the Muay Thai belt from Haggerty. Although we finally connected, we didn’t end up working together since the show didn’t pan out as planned. I returned to the States empty-handed but with a fresh mix of good and bad experiences that changed my vision. I kept wondering how I could bridge the gap between the States and Thailand, where Muay Thai was growing yet still practically nonexistent in Texas.
After talking to Rodtang more, I found out he’d never been to the States, and ONE Championship didn’t send their athletes here. The fact that the world’s best strikers hadn’t made it to the U.S. lit a fire in me. I had some funds I could’ve used to market my gym and build up new students, but instead, I gambled it all on Rodtang. He wasn’t a big name in the States yet, but I was determined to make it happen while growing the House of Dragons (H.O.D.) brand simultaneously.
With my lawyers working with his, we finally inked the deal, and Rodtang officially became part of the Dragon Clan. That moment will stay with me forever. I flew him to Texas, where he trained and cornered alongside me at my fighters’ events in Houston, then we embarked on a USA House of Dragons Rodtang Seminar Tour. We completed seven seminars in just ten days, making waves across the combat sports industry. Thanks to H.O.D., Rodtang made it to the States to spread Muay Thai, and that tour catapulted our brand to international fame, solidifying our reputation as an influential force in competition, media, and global reach.
Seeing news articles with photos of me and Rodtang in H.O.D. gear across Thai media was an indescribable feeling. Watching my vision turn into reality so quickly was surreal. Running all over the States with Rodtang was a wild ride. Every morning, we’d start the day singing Ed Sheeran or Adele—his favorites—followed by training, watching fights, teaching seminars, eating Thai food, and ending the night talking about his past matches. For ten days, I soaked up his knowledge and experience, picking his brain about Muay Thai and his fights with Mighty Mouse. When I first signed him, he had around 215k followers, and by the time he returned home, he was the face of Muay Thai with over a million followers.
Then, three months later, Saenchai reached out and asked me to host and promote his Yokkao tour. Once I signed Rodtang, doors opened, and suddenly everyone wanted to work with us. I took a page from Nike’s playbook with Michael Jordan and applied it to Rodtang because I could see that same fire in his eyes. I knew he was destined to be the next big star—and I was right.
This journey proves that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. This story is living proof.