“The king has returned” - Nong-O eager to reclaim his ONE bantamweight Muay Thai throne next

Former ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Hama only has one goal in mind right now: to reclaim the coveted 26-pound golden belt that he once held for five years.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Nong-O revealed that he is all in on regaining his lost glory and returning to his rightful place as the undisputed king of the bantamweight Muay Thai division.

The 37-year-old Thai icon said (as translated in English):

"Right now, I have one goal: to return to take back my throne No matter who is that champion. I can fight them all. The king has returned."

The Evolve MMA representative yielded his crown to Jonathan Haggerty in April 2023 at ONE Fight Night 9 after suffering a first-round knockout loss, which ended his dominant run as the division's title holder for five years.

During his reign as the world champion, he racked up seven straight world title defenses on top of his 10-0 perfect record in the world's largest martial arts organization.

Included on Nong-O's victim list are notable opponents such as Fabio Pinca, Mehdi Zatout, Han Zi Hao, Hiroaki Suzuki, Brice Delval, Seamapetch Fairtex, Rodlek PK Saenchai, Felipe Lobo, Liam Harrison, and Alaverdi Ramazanov.

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Nong-O's quest for world title redemption has begun after victory over Kulabdam at ONE Friday Fights 58

After his two-fight slump, the Evolve MMA megastar is finally back in the win column after beating Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai in the co-main event of ONE Friday Fights 58 via unanimous decision last Friday inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

It was his 11th victory in the promotion, which also kept his position as the No. 2-rated contender in the weight class, just behind Nico Carrillo, who previously beat him in December 2023 at ONE Friday Fights 46.

The former kingpin thinks that he is only a win away from cracking another shot for the championship.