Nong-O Gaiyanghadao isn’t taking Alaverdi Ramazanov lightly

At ONE Friday Fights 1, ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao will look to defend his world championship against Alaverdi Ramazanov.

A big theme of his training camp has been not letting himself get complacent after all that he has accomplished. Training in Thailand with the notorious Trainer Gae and sparring with fellow ONE world champions, Nong-O Gaiyanghadao is continuing to push himself further than before.

But despite his dominance as the division's king, he is well aware of the danger in underestimating any opponent that stands across from him inside the circle.

In an interview with ONE Championship, the defending bantamweight Muay Thai world champion spoke about the dangers that this fight presents:

“In my opinion, every fighter in ONE is dangerous to me, especially Alaverdi Ramazanov. This guy can beat many Thai fighters. And, he’s taller and longer than me. He has quick footwork. He’s one of the toughest opponents for me to fight with. My game plan for him is not to be careless. And if I can find a chance, I will finish him right away.”

Russia’s Alaverdi Ramazanov is a former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champion. He is headed into the fight coming off wins over Pongsiri PK.Saenchai and Capitan Petchyindee.

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WATCH: Muay Thai icon Nong-O Gaiyanghadao takes a series of unanswered body shots and smiles

Along with conditioning his mind and not letting himself get complacent, Nong-O Gaiyanghadao has been hard at work conditioning his body for his upcoming fight on January 20.

At 36 years of age, the Thai star is still pushing himself as far as possible, as showcased in a recent video posted on ONE Championship’s Instagram account.

In the video, Nong-O leans against the ropes whilst taking body punches from a much larger training partner, the kind of shots that would floor most individuals.

Check out the video of Nong-O's grueling preparations below:

For fans who haven’t witnessed this particular aspect of Muay Thai training, it’s a tough watch to see the world champion take that many punches without protecting himself. For a seasoned veteran of the sport like Nong-O, this is just another day in the office.

By conditioning his body in this way, the Thai fighter believes that he's strengthening his muscles, as well as displaying immense pain tolerance that separates him from average folk.

By looking at his facial expressions alone, you can see just how much of a hardened warrior Nong-O Gaiyanghadao is. Under the pain and pressure that would make most crumble, the champion feels at home.

That could serve him well this Friday night when he faces Alaverdi Ramazanov in the main event of ONE Friday Fights 1.