Nong-O Hama vs. Kiamran Nabati added to ONE Friday Fights 81

ONE Friday Fights 81 has bolstered its bout lineup with a must-see bantamweight Muay Thai clash between Nong-O Hama and Kiamran Nabati. 

This Asia primetime event takes place live at the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on September 27.

A few days ago, ONE Championship confirmed the first three matches to grace the highly anticipated card. The addition of a legendary figure such as Nong-O to the festivities provides supplementary star power.

Nong-O is a striker that needs no introduction to a legion of fans. He’s best remembered for his dominant reign as the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion.

After becoming the inaugural divisional king in February 2019, the Thai icon successfully defended his throne on seven different occasions. Five of these victories came by way of knockout.

However, all good things must come to an end. Nong-O relinquished his seat atop the weight class to Jonathan Haggerty via a shocking first-round knockout loss in April 2023.

To compound his misery, the seasoned veteran succumbed to a second-round stoppage defeat at the hands of Scottish rising star Nico Carrillo eight months later.

Nong-O finally caught a break this past April, edging out compatriot Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai by unanimous decision in a grueling encounter.

Now, the 37-year-old looks to set the momentum toward a potential World Title shot with a victory in his next outing.

But standing in his way is a formidable foe who has been making waves in ONE.

Kiamran Nabati targets to enter divisional rankings

As of late, Kiamran Nabati has turned heads in the world’s largest martial arts organization.

His promotional tenure began under the weekly ONE Friday Fights banner. In his initial assignment, he scored a thrilling decision victory over Pongsiri PK Saenchai.

The Russian striker authored the perfect follow up to his debut by clinching a hard-fought win over Avatar PK Saenchai last March.

Nabati’s impressive streak continued this past June. There, he knocked out Suablack Tor Pran49 in the first round to earn a $100,000 contract, ultimately securing a main roster spot.

At ONE Friday Fights 81, Nabati has the opportunity to enter the bantamweight Muay Thai rankings by beating Nong-O Hama. The Thai currently occupies the #2 spot in the top five.

A high-profile victory for Nabati is likely to cause a significant stir in the division’s pecking order.