"My finishing is not good enough" - Kongthoranee on what he needs to become a better fighter

ONE flyweight Muay Thai star Kongthoranee Sor Sommai was not satisfied with how he earned the unanimous decision win over Tagir Khalilov at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. 'Reug Reug' this past Friday, Nov. 8, inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. In an interview with ONE, the 27-year-old said:

"I am happy to have achieved this victory, but I am not satisfied with my performance. I want to go back and improve my leg steps to be faster. My finishing is not good enough. I want to improve."

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Before utterly dominating Khalilov at ONE 169 to claim his ninth victory under the ONE banner, Kongthoranee faced ONE flyweight kickboxing king and recently crowned bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 this past June at ONE Friday Fights 68.

While his encounter with Superlek ultimately ended in a unanimous decision defeat for the emerging Thai star, Kongthoranee gained valuable experience engaging his role model in an unforgettable three-round barnburner.

Kongthoranee showcases learnings from Superlek fight at ONE 169

Fighting Tagir Khalilov was another important test in Kongthoranee's quest to compete for the vacant ONE flyweight Muay Thai world championship, which was stripped from Rodtang Jitmuangnon for missing weight ahead of his world title tilt with Jacob Smith at ONE 169.

Taking what he had learned from the Superlek matchup, Kongthoranee did not try to overwhelm 'Samingpri' right out of the gate. Instead, he kept the Russian star at bay by repeatedly landing leg kicks and focusing on his much-improved counter-striking abilities.

Kongthoranee might be disappointed that he did not finish Khalilov, but his refined approach to the 'Art of Eight Limbs' puts him in a great position to eventually fight for 26 pounds of ONE gold. Fans in the United States and Canada with an active Prime Video subscription can rewatch ONE 169 on demand.