Nong-O Gaiyanghadao looks to draw strength from Thai crowd

ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao always feeds off the energy of the crowd when he steps inside the circle, but this Friday’s walk will be unlike any other.

The pound-for-pound Muay Thai great will step into the main event spotlight at the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Thailand for ONE Championship’s inaugural ONE Friday Fights 1 showcase. The promotion will kick off the weekly series of events with a can’t-miss headliner as Nong-O defends his world title for the seventh time against No. 2-ranked contender Alaverdi Ramazanov.

Nong-O is thrilled about competing in his home country once again and hopes to deliver an epic performance for what is sure to be a raucous set of fans. In an interview with ONE Championship, Nong-O discussed the importance of a live crowd:

“Thai people always love combat sports. I want them to come to Lumpinee stadium until there is no space left. Because every time I hit an opponent and hear the cheering noise from the fans, it makes my spirits high and eager to go on and on and on. And I can perform better, too. The greater the audience the better I perform.”

The event will air locally in Thailand, but fans around the world can catch ONE Friday Fights 1 on the promotion’s YouTube channel.

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Nong-O Gaiyanghadao’s life changed when he relocated to Singapore

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao is thrilled about the opportunity to defend his ONE bantamweight world championship in his home country this Friday night. His love for Thailand is strong, but Nong-O found a new lease on life after packing up and moving to Singapore eight years ago.

Sharing details on the life-changing move, Nong-O said:

"My whole life changed completely. When I was fighting in Thailand, I lost and won. Sometimes, I couldn’t find any opponent to fight, which meant no income for me. But after I moved to Singapore, I had [a regular] salary. My family's quality of life improved greatly. I could support my parents as well.”

Not only did Nong-O Gaiyanghadao find financial security in Singapore, but he also found renewed success in his combat sports career.

Since debuting for ONE Championship in 2018, the Thai warrior has yet to suffer defeat, winning nine straight and scoring knockouts in his last four appearances inside the circle.

He will look for his 10th win in ONE and 265th overall in less than 24 hours at ONE Friday Fights 1.