“I still felt uncomfortable” - Nong-O acknowledges the lapses he made in razor-close split decision loss to Kongthoranee
Nong-O Hama feels better than before after making the move the the flyweight Muay Thai division. Still, the 38-year-old legend admits there were adjustments to be made, which were made evident in his narrow split decision loss to Thai compatriot Kongthoranee Sor Sommai last February.
Nong-O made his promotional debut at 135 pounds at ONE Fight Night 28 in a dazzling back-and-forth slugfest with the Thai tactician. While the Evolve MMA standout had his moments, he admits he could have done better and perhaps gotten the nod from the judges.
The former bantamweight Muay Thai world champion shared in a recent ONE Championship interview:
“I’m happy with my game plan, but I still felt uncomfortable, and I still couldn’t throw my weapons naturally. As I said, I haven’t fought in this division in a long time. So I can’t say that was my best performance.”
Rewatch Nong-O vs Kongthoranee I here:
To be fair, Nong-O looked fresh and rejuvenated in his first foray at flyweight and was piecing up Kongthoranee early on. However, the 28-year-old tactician was able to find his groove in the latter stages of the match and found a ton of success with his elite counterstriking.
Nong-O and Kongthoranee will run it back at ONE Fight Night 31
Given the close nature of that epic first meeting, a sequel was very much needed.
The home of martial arts decided to pit these two proud Thai warriors for a second time as the headlining act of ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs Nong-O II on Prime Video.
This epic rematch certainly holds a lot of weight, considering the flyweight Muay Thai throne remains vacant at the moment.
For Nong-O, it's an opportunity to right a wrong and perhaps steal the third-ranked Kongthoranee's place in the stacked flyweight Muay Thai top 5.
ONE Fight Night 31 will emanate from Bangkok's iconic Lumpinee Stadium on May 2. The full event will air live at U.S. Primetime, free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America