“I respect the referee’s decision” - Nong-O looking to move forward from controversial loss to Kongthoranee

Thai legend Nong-O Hama was convinced that he won his first match against Kongthoranee Sor Sommai. However, he is already over it and now focusing on their rematch this week.

The two will run it back in the headlining contest at ONE Fight Night 31 on May 2 at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. It is a redo of their tightly fought flyweight Muay Thai clash back in February, where Kongthoranee slipped past with a split decision victory.

In a pre-fight interview session with ONE Championship ahead of ONE Fight Night 21, Nong-O spoke about his first encounter with Kongthoranee and how he has moved on from it.

The 38-year-old Evolve MMA standout said:

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"I believe it was a very close fight. We traded closely, but everyone had different perspectives for the results. As for me, I think that I was the winner. But since that fight is now in the past, I respect the referee’s (judges') decision."

The loss to Kongthoranee last time around spoiled Nong-O's debut in the flyweight Muay Thai lane after long competing and dominating as world champion at bantamweight.

ONE Fight Night 31 is available live in U.S. primetime to North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Nong-O says he has better understanding of Kongthoranee's game for rematch

Nong-O Hama says he has a better understanding of Kongthoranee Sor Sommai's game and looks to tap on it in their scheduled rematch at ONE Fight Night 31.

The former bantamweight Muay Thai king, who is now charting a path in flyweight, shared part of his game plan for the redo, where he looks to redeem himself after losing in the first encounter by split decision.

He said:

"To fight with him, I have to focus on heavy blows and defending myself well. Don't trade with him. If I block well enough, he can't do anything to me."

Apart from exacting payback, Nong-O is out to put a stop to the three-match winning streak of Kongthoranee with a win at ONE Fight Night 31.

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Michael Murillo is a journalist who covers basketball and MMA at Sportskeeda with over two decades of experience. Michael has contributed as a proofreader, columnist and journalist for the Philippine broadsheet BusinessWorld.

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Edited by Harvey Leonard