Nong-O sheds light on decision to move back down to flyweight after almost a decade

After years of dominance as the bantamweight Muay Thai's top dog, Nong-O Hama has made the difficult decision to return to flyweight - a move he never expected to make.

The former ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion cited the growing physicality of bantamweight fighters, with bigger, taller athletes as the reason why he made the call to start things fresh in a division just below his old weight limit.

Nong-O shared in a recent interview with ONE Championship:

"At that time, I never thought that I would come down to fight at 135 because when I first joined ONE, the 145 division was still [achievable]. My opponents were still [beatable]. But later on, the foreigners started getting better at Muay Thai. They lost weight while maintaining their strong and muscular bodies. Because of this, Thai fighters like me are at a disadvantage."

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"Losing weight is not difficult" - Nong-O shares what made his flyweight transition seamless

For many fighters, managing their weight ahead of fights can be a grueling process. But, Nong-O, who had to adapt back to the flyweight limit of 135-pounds, insists it has been a smooth transition for him. He said in an interview with ONE Championship:

"For me, losing weight is not difficult. I already have a nutritionist to help me," he said. "For food, my wife will take care of it for me. So, it's easy because we know what we're eating. I don't even touch sweets or fried food."

But while he's committed to his diet, Nong-O proves that he's just as human as the rest of us when required to restrict certain food:

"But I miss it so much."

Fans can tune in to see how the Evolve MMA affiliate fares in his flyweight debut in the promotion at ONE Fight Night 28, airing live in US primetime on Friday, Feb. 7, free for fans in North America with an active Prime Video subscription.