"My favorite fighter when I was a kid" - Kongthoranee admits he's been inspired by Muay Thai 'genius' Nong-O ahead of rematch

Current number three-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Kongthoranee Sor Sommai has a big admiration for former longtime ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Hama because he has been his idol ever since he was a kid.

Kongthoranee revealed this during his recent exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA and stated that Nong-O's wit and elite fight IQ were the reasons for this adulation:

"Yes, Nong-O is my favorite fighter when I was a kid, and I feel like he's such a genius in the ring."

Kongthoranee, though, has set aside his admiration for the Thai legend last February at ONE Fight Night 28 when he scored a razor-thin split decision victory over Nong-O in their showdown to rudely welcome him in the flyweight division.

Now, the 28-year-old contender has the opportunity to prove that his previous win was not a fluke, as he will face Nong-O in a rematch on May 2 in the main event of ONE Fight Night 31 in front of the Lumpinee Stadium crowd in Bangkok, Thailand.

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Kongthoranee reveals his fight plan for his second meeting against Nong-O at ONE Fight Night 31

Based on the first bout that they had, the Sor Sommai representative has come up with a fight plan against the Evolve MMA-affiliated athlete.

During his pre-fight interview with the world's largest martial arts organization, Kongthoranee proclaimed that his speed would be the key to beating Nong-O in a more decisive result and counter his never-fading timing, as he explained:

"I learned that Nong-O has very good timing. The way to deal with him is that I have to be faster than him."

North American viewers with an active Prime Video subscription can watch all the action at ONE Fight Night 31 on May 2, which goes down inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.