WATCH: Nong-O performs ceremonial wai kru at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium before fight

ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao paid tribute to the sport of Muay Thai with a ceremonial wai kru dance before his fight at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

Wai kru is a traditional ritual performed only by Muay Thai fighters before they enter a fight. The familiar music of “sarama” is played in the background as the fighter who’s performing the ritual puts his hands together and bows down in a prayer-like position inside the center of the ring. The movements that follow are said to be like a preview of the fight that is to come.

With that said, it was only appropriate to have the former four-time Lumpinee Muay Thai world champion Nong-O start the main event with a Muay Thai ritual at ONE Friday Fights 1.

Watch Nong-O’s performance below:

In front of a large and uproarious crowd in Thailand, Nong-O Gaiyanghadao collided with the No.2-ranked contender Alaverdi Ramazanov on January 20. In the first couple of rounds, the Thai warrior struggled to find his rhythm while ‘Babyface Killer’ used his range to find a home for his jabs and punches.

The Dagestani fighter looked strong after scoring big in the first two rounds. However, things took a turn for the worse for Ramazanov when the defending world champion pressed forward with a combination of leg kicks, hooks, and nasty body shots.

It took one more body shot to the liver before Ramazanov folded in pain. Badly injured, he fell to his knees and couldn’t resume fighting after the 2:14 minute mark of round three.

Re-live the epic moment below:

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Fans congratulate Nong-O for his recent victory at ONE Friday Fights 1

Last Friday marked Nong-O’s seventh straight world title defense and fifth consecutive knockout under the ONE Championship banner.

Without being hyperbolic, his legendary status is not lost on his fans, who have nothing but praise and support for the Muay Thai king. After releasing a picture of himself posing with his teammates and his golden belt, fans took to Instagram to share the following reactions:

“Legendary fight, legendary fighter! Thank you for what you do and congratulations Kru O 🙏!”

“Thank you for a brilliant fight. Greetings from Ukraine. I hope it will teach a bit Russians that if you come with a gun you will die of it. Respect first. 🔥🔥🔥 really old school Muay Thai. Really impressed by your work. Really best of the best👏👏👏”

“Yeeeeeeees! 🏆🏆🏆🏆I never doubted you for a second, you’re my inspiration to fight 👊”

Check out the image below: