Rambolek Learned Of His ONE Title Fight While Collecting Alms

Reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon took a spiritual detour before returning to defend his crown. The Thai phenom will make his first title defense in the main event of The Inner Circle 30 on Friday, September 11, streaming live on live.onefc.com.

Rambolek captured the title back in March at The Inner Circle 7, outworking Nabil Anane across a gruelling five-round battle to win via unanimous decision. That victory extended his current winning streak to six fights.

Rambolek reflects on time as a monk after winning ONE title

Following that milestone achievement, the 23-year-old chose to honour Thai tradition by ordaining as a monk, a common practice among Thai men expressing gratitude toward their parents following major life accomplishments. For Rambolek, this experience carried far deeper meaning than a similar ceremony he had undergone as a child.

"It was my first time truly being ordained. As a kid, I was only ordained for a single day for my teacher, which ended quickly. But this time, I was fully intentional about it. It was a wonderful experience, peaceful and deeply introspective," Rambolek said.

Rambolek learned of Yod-IQ fight while collecting morning alms

Interestingly, Rambolek's time at the monastery coincided with the announcement of his title defense, though he remained largely disconnected from the outside world during his stay. He revealed the unusual circumstances under which he first learned of his opponent.

"While I was still at the monastery, he had just called me out, and then suddenly the matchup was made official. I actually saw the news while out collecting morning alms because there was no phone reception inside the temple," he said.

Yod-IQ enters title fight on 10-fight winning streak

Rambolek's opponent will be the 24-year-old Yod-IQ, a fellow ONE Friday Fights graduate representing PK Saenchai Muaythaigym. Boasting a striking record of 127-36, Yod-IQ enters the contest riding an impressive 10-fight winning streak of his own.

Rambolek admitted the matchup came as somewhat of a surprise, having anticipated a different high-profile opponent based on prior comments made within the division.

"At first, I didn't think my defense would be against Yod-IQ. I expected to face Jonathan Haggerty since he mentioned wanting to return to Muay Thai. So getting matched with Yod-IQ was a genuine surprise," Rambolek said.