ONE Fight Night 31: Nong-O Eyes World Title Shot After He Beats Kongthoranee

Add as a preferred source on Google

Legendary Thai striker Nong-O Hama is eager to settle the score against compatriot Kongthoranee Sor Sommai. The duo fought each other this February, where the younger Kongthoranee emerged victorious in a tightly contested bout.

They will collide again in the main event of ONE Fight Night 31 on 3 May at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion in Nong-O moved down to flyweight but was unsuccessful in his last outing against Kongthoranee.

With a promotional record of 11-2, Kongthoranee has been sensational since his debut. Even Nong-O was surprised by his power. To counter his opponent this time, the 38-year-old has trained hard during fight camp.

"Kongthoranee didn't do anything to surprise me. He fought in his own style. But what surprised me was his strength. Of course, because he was younger than me. In this fight, I saw significant improvement in him," Nong-O said.

"I train in the morning and evening. Every week I have a different training schedule. Some days I do boxing, and some days I focus on weight training. There will be Sundays when I reduce the intensity of my training. I will just run and shadowbox, no sparring."

What makes this matchup even more interesting is that the flyweight crown is currently vacant and top contenders are throwing their weight around to earn the title shot. The likes of Rodtang Jitmuangnon, Superlek Kiatmoo9, Kongthoranee, and Nakrob Fairtex are all in the mix.

The Muay Thai living legend has ruled over the bantamweight division for many years. He now plans to dominate the flyweight division as well. But to reach the pinnacle, he must defeat his opponent this week.

"In the rankings, there is Kongthoranee, Nakrob, and Superlek," he said. "I hope that if I can win impressively in this fight, I will have a shot for gold in the next fight."