Thai legend Nong-O Hama had a dominant run as ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion from 2019 to 2023. During his reign, he showcased his skill and resilience, including an impressive title defense against Brazilian star Felipe Lobo.

The title showdown took place at ONE X in March 2022 in Singapore, where Nong-O was making his fifth defense of the bantamweight gold since winning it in 2019. Right from the onset, Nong-O found himself in a fierce battle against ‘The Demolition Man.’ The opening three rounds saw a back-and-forth exchange, with both fighters having their moments.

Midway through the third round, Lobo tried to pick up the pace with his attacks but was caught off-guard by a nifty and devastating uppercut from Nong-O. The strike instantly dropped the Brazilian to the canvas. Although Lobo tried to beat the count, he was clearly unable to continue, forcing the referee to stop the match at the 2:15 mark of the round.

ONE Championship recently relived this epic clash in a video post on its official YouTube channel, giving fans a chance to revisit this memorable fight.

Following the victory over Lobo, Nong-O successfully defended the bantamweight Muay Thai world title two more times before eventually losing the belt to Jonathan Haggerty in April 2023 by KO in the opening round.

Now, Nong-O is gearing up to become a world champion once again — this time at flyweight. He is scheduled to fight former flyweight king Rodtang Jitmuangnon for the vacant belt at ONE 173: Superbon vs Noiri, taking place on November 16 at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

Nong-O Says Rodtang Fight at ONE 173 Among His Biggest

Although no stranger to big fights, Nong-O considers his upcoming clash against Rodtang for the vacant flyweight Muay Thai belt as one of the biggest in his illustrious career. In a pre-fight interview with ONE Championship, he highlighted the significance of competing for a world title in Japan:

“This fight is actually a huge one. The biggest one I have ever fought in, and I get to go to Japan.”

Nong-O enters ONE 173 coming off a convincing decision win over fellow Thai fighter Kongthoranee Sor Sommai in his last match in May.

For more information and updates on ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri, be sure to follow Sportskeeda MMA and ONE Championship.
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