Nong-O Gaiyanghadao trains with younger fighters to maintain his youth

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao is a living legend in Muay Thai, but with such a historic career comes the toll of competing at a high level for so long.

The bantamweight Muay Thai world champion is a certified veteran at 36 years of age, meaning he has to adapt his training in order to remain at the top of the sport.

With his dedicated work ethic, Nong-O does not let himself rest, always keeping himself sharp in some way or another in order to compete with younger opponents who are hungry for the chance to face him in competition.

This Friday in ONE’s debut event at the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Thailand, the champion will face Alaverdi Ramazanov in the headliner for ONE Friday Fights 1.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Nong-O spoke about how he maintains a youthful fighting spirit in preparation for his 28-year-old Russian opponent:

“I’m getting older. I have to train more to stay strong. And I’m the kind of person who gets irritated If I don't practice. So, I have to train hard to fight with younger opponents. I try to be active all the time even during the past New Year holidays. Intensity may drop a bit, but I still went jogging to stay active every day. Never stay idle.”

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Nong-O Gaiyanghadao posts picture of Superbon on Instagram, says former champ will be back

One of the ways bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao stays fresh is by surrounding himself with other elite competitors like his teammate Superbon Singha Mawynn.

Last weekend, Superbon looked to defend his featherweight world championship against Chingiz Allazov at ONE’s first card of the year, ONE Fight Night 6.

Superbon lost his world title to the ONE Featherweight World Grand Prix winner, suffering a devastating second-round knockout.

In an Instagram post, Nong-O Gaiyanghadao showed support for his friend and training partner who he believes will come back even stronger after the loss:

“We are team 🇹🇭🛬 he will be back soon”

In what many believed would be an incredibly close contest, Chingiz Allazov dismantled Superbon inside two rounds to become the new world champion.

Though it was a tough loss that ended in a ruthless knockout, Superbon’s status as one of the best strikers in the world means he will likely be back again, chasing down his former world title.