Nong-O Settles Kongthoranee Trilogy, Eyes Imangazaliev ONE World Title Rematch
Nong-O Hama has shared a ring with Kongthoranee Sor Sommai three times now, and the rivalry finally has a definitive answer. At 39 years old, the legend proved he still has more chapters left to write.
Nong-O won the deciding fight of their trilogy by unanimous decision in the co-main event of The Inner Circle 20 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, June 26, improving his extraordinary career record to 268-59. The result settled a series that had been split one win apiece heading into the rubber match.
The former eight-time ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion dropped Kongthoranee for an eight-count in round one, only for the three-time Rajadamnern Stadium World Champion to return the favour with a left hand in round three. Both men had tasted the canvas by the time the final bell rang.
“I’m really happy to get the win over Kongthoranee again. My main goal was to put on an exciting fight for the fans,” he said.
“Even if I had lost, I would have just gone back to the drawing board and trained even harder. Win or lose, it’s just a sport, and I’m lucky to have a great support system around me.”
Nong-O was candid about how close the fight truly was, even as the scorecards swung unanimously in his favour. The round-three knockdown briefly threatened to undo everything he had built across the first two rounds.
“After the final bell, I was confident I won. I was the one pushing the pace, pressing forward, and landing the cleaner shots throughout the fight,” he said.
“But Kongthoranee clearly came prepared and got his [knockdown] back in round three. At that moment, it felt like my lights went out for a split second. But I got back up, kept my composure, and controlled my body.”
With the trilogy closed, Nong-O’s attention has already shifted toward the vacant gold that changed hands on the very same card. Asadula Imangazaliev claimed the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title that night, defeating Aslamjon Ortikov in a five-round classic, and Nong-O has shared a ring with the new champion before.
“My ultimate goal is the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title. Of course, it’s up to the promotion to decide when I get that shot,” he said.
“But I’m ready to give it my all in every single fight. No matter how hard the road is, I’m going to push myself even further to make it happen.”
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