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ONE Fight Night 1: Three times Nong-O Gaiyanghadao showed next-level fight IQ

With a 262-54-10 record, Nong-O is a living Muay Thai legend. He's also won a Rajadamnern Stadium World Title and Lumpinee Stadium World Championships across four weight classes.

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao

Bengaluru, August 17: Nong-O Gaiyanghadao will defend his ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title for the sixth time against hard-hitting #5-ranked contender Liam "Hitman" Harrison.

The Thai and Englishman will meet in the co-main event of ONE on Prime Video 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II on Friday, August 26, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

With a 262-54-10 record, Nong-O is a living Muay Thai legend. He's also won a Rajadamnern Stadium World Title and Lumpinee Stadium World Championships across four weight classes - and he's done all this because of his incredible fight IQ.

Having said that, we revisit three fights in which Nong-O took his skills to the next level and blew past his challengers.

The Uppercut That Levitated Lobo

Nong-O's latest victory over Felipe Lobo at ONE X in March showed why the Thai superstar has some of the smartest setups in the organization's Muay Thai division.

After two rounds of pawing at Lobo with jabs, Nong-O realized that the Brazilian lowered his head each time to deflect the incoming shots.

So, in the third round, the defending ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion threw a few more jabs, making sure that "Demolition Man" stayed true to his defensive pattern. And when Lobo lowered his head again, Nong-O popped him with a right uppercut that spun him around and sent him down.

Lobo couldn't recover, which meant Nong-O scored his eighth straight win, his fifth World Title defense, and his 262nd career win.

The Right Cross That Slept Rodlek

Prior to beating Lobo, Nong-O used his fight IQ to slowly pick apart a game and grizzled Rodlek PK.Saenchai at ONE: COLLISION COURSE in December 2020.

The two Thais battled ferociously for two rounds before Nong-O started to pick up on Rodlek's wild movements. Instead of throwing crisp right hands down the middle, "The Steel Locomotive" swung lopping right hands at the World Champion, leaving himself wide open.

In round three, Nong-O anticipated one more of these wild shots, and when Rodlek threw one, the Evolve athlete threw a crisp right hand that folded his foe like a lawn chair.

Rodlek couldn't recover, the fight was waived off, and the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion celebrated with his infamous Nong-O dance mid-Circle.

The Dismantling Of A Top-Ranked Contender

Saemapetch Fairtex earned his shot at Nong-O after scoring three consecutive wins in the Circle, but by the end of their battle at ONE: EDGE OF GREATNESS in November 2019, the #1-ranked bantamweight found out real quick just how efficient his compatriot is.

Over the course of four rounds, Nong-O used his fight IQ to beat Saemapetch to the shot in many of the exchanges. Whether it was punches, kicks, or elbows, Nong-O made sure to score first, and score last.

That output flustered Saemapetch, as he found neither his mark nor his rhythm. And in round four Nong-O capitalized on his challenger's growing frustration.

The Fairtex man started to slow down and throw sloppy shots, and when he did, Nong-O belted him with a right hand that stretched Saemapetch across the canvas like a T.

Watch the lead card of ONE Fight Night 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II on Disney+ Hotstar at 5:30 AM IST on Saturday (August 27). Meanwhile, the main card will follow on Disney+ Hotstar at 7:30 AM IST.

Source: Media Release

Story first published: Wednesday, August 17, 2022, 10:55 [IST]
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