"His weapons are really heavy" - Nong-O admits he felt the full force of Kulabdam's 'Left Meteorite'
Second-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Nong-O Hama was taken aback by Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai's ferocious power during their war at ONE Friday Fights 58 in Bangkok, Thailand.
The former divisional king knew he'd have his hands full against his compatriot's striking. However, he least expected it to be that potent when they traded strikes inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
Nong-O told ONE Championship:
"I was worried when I got hit by his punches. I admit that his weapons are really heavy."
The 37-year-old striking icon had a lot to prove in his first fight of 2024 after slumping to a pair of shocking knockout losses to Jonathan Haggerty and Nico Carrillo last year.
With that in mind, the Thai fighter knew he had to discover his old form. That he just did.
He pushed his foe through his paces, delivering a message every time he closed the distance behind his trademark combinations. When the nine-minute contest came to a close, the former divisional kingpin's output showed on the judges' scorecards, as all of them handed him a well-deserved unanimous decision.
Nong-O praises Kulabdam for epic war: "He has a very good heart"
Though he toppled Kulabdam inside the Mecca of Muay Thai last Friday, April 5 without much of a fuss, Nong-O sees plenty of potential in the former.
The ex-ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion believes with the right mindset, training, and tactics, Kulabdam can fight his way to the top and fight for the divisional gold, currently in possession of Jonathan Haggerty.
In addition, he praised 'Left Meteorite's fighting spirit. In the same interview, he concluded:
"I respect Kulabdam very much. He has a very good heart."
The Evolve MMA athlete's latest win improved his tally of victories to 11 in ONE Championship. The striking legend also owns victories over notable names Liam Harrison, Felipe Lobo, Saemapetch Fairtex, Alaverdi Ramazanov, and Mehdi Zatout.