“Don’t think I’m at a disadvantage” - Thai legend Nong-O confident he kept his power going down to flyweight against Kongthoranee

Although he's going down a division, Nong-O Hama is confident he still carries the same power that made him an all-time great in the world of Muay Thai.

The former ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion will make his flyweight debut against Thai star Kongthoranee Sor Sommai at ONE Fight Night 28 on Friday, US primetime, at the historic Lumpinee Stadium.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Nong-O said he's not concerned about possible weaknesses when he drops to 135 pounds after reigning over the bantamweight Muay Thai division for almost five years.

The Thai legend stressed that power wouldn't be an issue since he was used to fighting bigger and taller opponents in the 145-pound division.

He said:

"Don’t forget that I have experience fighting some big guys in bantamweight. I don’t think I’m at a disadvantage in terms of power."

Nong-O is often considered among the greatest Muay Thai artists of all time and was instrumental in carrying the prestige of the Lumpinee Stadium in the 2000s.

The 38-year-old was a four-time Lumpinee Stadium world champion and a Rajadamnern Stadium world champion before he signed with ONE Championship in 2018.

In 2019, Nong-O became the inaugural ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion when he dominated Han Zi Hao for the throne in Bangkok.

Nong-O then had eight successful defenses of the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title before relinquishing the strap to Jonathan Haggerty in 2023 in an absolute upset.

The Muay Thai icon now looks to conquer his final career arc in a division he's yet to fight in under the ONE Championship banner.

ONE Fight Night 28 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.

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Nong-O Hama reveals the painful reason he had to abandon bantamweight and move to flyweight

Nong-O Hama's tenure with the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title is one of the most storied world championship reigns in ONE Championship. However, the inaugural holder of the throne knew he had to leave the division he once ruled over.

Although he was often considered small for the weight class, the 5-foot-7 Nong-O realized that the new generation began producing taller and bigger bantamweight fighters.

In an interview with ONE Championship, he said:

"After the fight with Kiamran [Nabati], I consulted my team, and we decided that I should step down from the bantamweight division. Even I was still ranked in the bantamweight division. Because I was at a disadvantage in terms of physicality and impact force. So, I decided to move down to 135 pounds, flyweight."