Kongthoranee Looks To Make It 2-0 Against Taiki Naito At ONE Fight Night 49
Three years ago, Kongthoranee Sor Sommai beat Taiki “Silent Sniper” Naito under Muay Thai rules. On Friday, the Japanese striker gets his rematch in the discipline he knows best.
The pair meet in the flyweight kickboxing co-main event of ONE Fight Night 49: Gabriel vs. Magomedov on Prime Video on Friday, November 6, live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. Their first fight at ONE Friday Fights 37 in October 2023 was a nine-minute war.
Since then, both men have changed. Kongthoranee, a three-time Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion, opened his kickboxing career with a unanimous decision over Yuan Pengjie at The Inner Circle 32.
Naito, meanwhile, is chasing a fourth straight win after beating previously undefeated Hyu “Mister Pepper” Iwata at ONE SAMURAI 1. The 29-year-old Thai admits the rules make this a scarier assignment, but he is not backing down.
“After fighting kickboxing in my last bout, I want to develop more fluid and continuous combinations. It’ll make my strikes more effective and give me that killer instinct to finish fights. I’m confident I still have plenty of room to grow,” Kongthoranee said.
“Facing Taiki in kickboxing does look scarier than fighting against him in Muay Thai, but I still believe I can get the job done. Here’s my message to Taiki – no matter the rules, Muay Thai or kickboxing, I will definitely be your nightmare.”
Naito, a 30-year-old former Shoot Boxing Japan Champion from Bell Wood Fight Team, is primarily a kickboxer who has also competed 11 times under Muay Thai rules. Of the 14 losses on his 39-win record, the one Kongthoranee handed him stings more than most.
He has studied his rival’s kickboxing debut and believes his hands give him the edge. Camp has gone smoothly, and he already knows how he wants this rivalry to end.
“I’m sure it’ll be an intense fight, but I do want to finish it cleanly in the end. As for the type of finishing shot, it depends on the situation,” Naito said.
“I’ve prepared both a right punch and a left punch that can put him down, so I want to leave it to the flow of the fight and trust my weapons.”
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