“I'm glad I got to come this far” - Kongthoranee looks back on his journey from unheralded gem to legitimate contender

Not too long ago, Kongthoranee Sor Sommai was one of the many Thai fighters grinding quietly in the background - dangerous, but overlooked. Skilled, but unknown outside of hardcore circles.

Through hard work, sharp skills, tough wins and staying ready when the opportunity knocked, Kongthoranee earned the opportunity for a main event appearance. He's headlining ONE Fight Night 31 against a living legend for the second time, and he's not taking it for granted.

Speaking with ONE Championship ahead of fight night, Kongthoranee shared his thoughts about the opportunity:

"I was surprised that I got to fight in the main event again," he said. "I'm glad I got to come this far. Not only I have to fight in a world class event like ONE Fight Night, I also got to fight in the main event instead of a world title fight on the same card."

“I’ve come this far” - Thai slugger Kongthoranee says he’s hungry to get a shot at ONE Championship gold

Now that he's got the spotlight, the next goals are to stay under the spotlight and fight for the belt.

He said:

"I feel like I've come this far, and I have come to ONE. Of course, I want the other belt to be on my shoulder, because I've seen people like Tawanchai."

Watching fellow Thai stars like Tawanchai PK Saenchai climb to world champion status only served to fuel his hunger. Kongthoranee knows he's about to get his chance, and a second win over Nong-O could be just what he needs to open those doors.

ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs Nong-O II takes place May 2 in the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Fight fans in Canada and North America can stream the action live on Prime Video with an active subscription.