“Something really impressive to remember” - Nong-O says he sent a clear message after decimating younger foe Kongthoranee

At ONE Fight Night 31, former ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Hama reminded everyone why he’s still a serious contender, shutting down Kongthoranee with a composed, veteran performance.

The flyweight Muay Thai matchup marked a turning point in Nong-O’s late-career run. After two consecutive losses, questions around his age and decline started to circulate.

But instead of firing back online, the former bantamweight king went quiet and got back to work. And the result is a clean revenge win against Kongthoranee Sor Sommai, a measured victory that put him back on track for another title run.

He talked about his motivation to train harder in an interview with South China Morning Post:

"So that has turned into motivation for me to train even harder because I know that one day, if I succeed in winning against someone who's younger than me who's really good, then it would turn into something really impressive to remember."

Watch the full interview below:

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Battle-tested legend Nong-O says it’s satisfying to silence critics claiming he’s too old: “I've seen these comments”

Nong-O’s aware of what critics are saying. After back-to-back losses, some voices began suggesting it might be time to hang it up. But he never let it affect his focus.

"I've seen these comments for a little while. I acknowledge it," he said. "I know that a lot of people are saying that I'm older now. I should retire. I am older now, and there's no way that I can win against people who are younger than me."

Instead of arguing, he chose to answer in the only way that really matters - inside the Circle. With his statement made, critics are silenced - for now. But we all know it's only a matter of time until the chatter resumes, and a matter of performance to shut them up again.

ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs Nong-O II is available for replay on Prime Video with an active subscription.