Monk: Legendary Nong-O Hama ordained as Buddhist monk after dengue scare

Following a health scare that almost took his life, legendary fighter Nong-O Hama turned to his Buddhist faith and was recently ordained as a monk to give honor to the medical professionals who helped him recover.

The 36-year-old former ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion battled late-stage dengue that left him in an intensive care unit for days, with his life considered severely threatened.

Nong-O eventually would survive the episode with help from doctors and nurses at the Piyavet Hospital who looked after him throughout the ordeal.

And as a way of giving back, the Thai legend decided to do a traditional Thai ritual of donating religious service to a Buddhist temple as a form of “making merit.” The service will last for 15 days.

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On a Facebook post, Nong-O shared photos of what transpired during the process of being ordained, with a caption which partly read:

“Thank you my dear team. To the fan club, don’t worry about the monk. Give me some time to meditate.”

Nong-O was last in action in April, where he lost the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title he long held to British striker Jonathan Haggerty. He was knocked out in the opening round, which left many in shock.

Prior to contracting dengue, Nong-O was in line for a rematch with Haggerty.

As he makes his way to full recovery, he vows to come back better and stronger and continue to compete for everyone, especially those who support him.

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Edited by Taimoor Malik