WATCH: Striking monsters Takeru, Nong-O get into it during hard sparring session in Bangkok
Muay Thai legend Nong-O Hama and Japanese kickboxing megastar Takeru Segawa gave ONE Championship fans a closer look at what the saying "iron sharpens iron" truly means.
Nong-O and 'The Natural Born Crusher' had a high-intensity sparring session in Thailand last year as their peers eagerly watched from ringside, which ONE posted on Instagram:
Nong-O's training with Takeru perfectly encapsulated how he went undefeated in his first 10 fights under the ONE banner, which included winning the inaugural ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship in February 2019 over Han Zi Hao.
Though he ultimately lost the 145-pound Muay Thai crown to Jonathan Haggerty in April 2023 and fell via knockout to Nico Carrillo in December of that same year, the Thai hero bounced back by defeating Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai this past April.
Nong-O will look to showcase his striking excellence against the undefeated Kiamran Nabati at ONE Friday Fights 81 on Sept. 27 inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
How Nong-O and Kiamran Nabati stack up against each other
The biggest question for Nong-O entering ONE Friday Fights 81 inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, is whether his chin will hold up against Kiamran Nabati's overwhelming power.
Fresh off a first-round knockout of Suablack Tor Pran49 this past June to earn his third straight win in ONE, Nabati could repeat the feat by utilizing his speed advantage to overwhelm the 37-year-old Evolve MMA product.
However, the Archangel Michel star's reliance on his high-octane offense leaves him susceptible to counter hits, which Nong-O will likely be prepared to exploit.
All things considered, Nong-O and Nabati's bantamweight Muay Thai encounter at ONE Friday Fights 81 is a strong Fight of the Night contender.
ONE Friday Fights 81 is available live on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.