appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Nicolas Atkin

All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing.
Former ONE Championship bantamweight Muay Thai king Nong-O Hama is set to face Nico Carrillo at ONE Friday Fights 46 in Bangkok on December 22, sources told the Post.
The bout, a potential title eliminator, will bolster a stacked year-end card at Lumpinee Stadium, which already boasts three title fights.
Superbon will challenge Tawanchai for the featherweight Muay Thai title in the main event, with Phetjeeja Ormeekhun and Anissa Meksen set to face off for the interim atomweight kickboxing title.
The martial arts promotion announced last Saturday that divisional champion Joseph Lasiri and interim king Prajanchai PK Saencahi will also unify the strawweight Muay Thai title at the event.

Scotland’s Carrillo, 22, was tipped as a future champion after earning a US$100,000 ONE Championship contract after just two wins on the weekly ONE Friday Fights cards at Lumpinee.
Both were by knockout, the second an impressive finish of Thai veteran Muangthai PK Saenchai in June, which also scored him a US$10,000 performance bonus from ONE’s chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
ONE Championship’s Rodtang denied entry at airport for Canada seminar tour
“The King of the North” entered the bantamweight rankings last month at No 5, and could position himself as Jonathan Haggerty’s next title challenger with another win over the legendary Nong-O.
Haggerty had said he is open to a rematch with the No 1-ranked Nong-O, from whom he took the title in April with a first-round KO in Bangkok, snapping an eight-fight win streak for the Thai.
“Nico is going to win by knockout, one hundred per cent, I genuinely do believe that,” Carrillo’s coach JP Gallacher told commentator Joe Comerford when asked last week about his fellow Scot’s next fight, without naming the opponent.












View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Joe Comerford (@joecomerfordmuaythai)



“Nico gets better and better every single fight. The Nico you see in the last fight, isn’t who you’re going to see in the next. That’s why he’s so hard to prepare for.
“We’re there to do a job and we are coming for gold after that. Nico is my best pal and he’s my fighter, but unbiased, I genuinely believe I’ve got the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world on my hands here.”
The 37-year-old Nong-O returned to full training in late September after a battle with dengue fever that left him in an intensive care unit in hospital for several days.

He was suffering with “life threatening” late stage symptoms, which prompted Chatri to book Haggerty in a fight against Fabricio Andrade for the vacant ONE bantamweight kickboxing title, instead of a rematch with Nong-O.
“I’m not choosing. Anybody in bantamweight in ONE Championship, just tell me the name,” Nong-O told the Post in September, when asked who he would like to face on his return.
“I want to come back by the end of this year, that would be perfect.”


Promoter behind Strikeforce, Bellator MMA, to launch new 32-fighter combat league

Macau will be launch pad to Asia as promotion looks East, UFC boss Kevin Chang says

ONE Championship: Yod-IQ Pimolsri secures contract, eyes rematch with Abdulla Dayakaev

ONE Championship: Superbon insists his longevity, success are rooted in discipline over sacrifice

ONE Championship

ONE Championship: Nong-O Hama set to fight Nico Carrillo in Bangkok, sources say

Nong-O Hama (left) will face Nico Carrillo at ONE Friday Fights 46 in Bangkok. Photo: ONE Championship

Nico Carillo lands a punch on Muangthai.

Nong-O Hama heads to the ring at Lumpinee Stadium to fight Jonathan Haggerty.

ONE Championship’s Rodtang Jitmuangnon denied entry to Canada for seminar tour over visa issue at airport

Rodtang Jitmuangnon is ONE Championship’s flyweight Muay Thai champion.

Superlek’s hand is raised after his decision victory over Rodtang.

ONE Championship: Malaysian Muay Thai fighter Aliff ‘will be a world champion, 100 per cent’ after landing US$100,000 contract, coach says

Aliff celebrates with his coach JP Gallacher at ONE Friday Fights 40. Photos: ONE Championship

Aliff throws a punch at Peyman Zolfaghari at ONE Friday Fights 40.

Aliff celebrates after getting a ONE Championship contract. 

ONE Championship: Sinsamut Klinmee ‘doesn’t want to fight’ if Mehdi Zatout is still suspended

Sinsamut Klinmee (centre) with Mehdi Zatout (left) in his corner ahead of his bout at ONE Fight Night 16 in Bangkok. Photos: ONE Championship

Mehdi Zatout looks on in Sinsamut Klinmee’s corner at ONE Fight Night 16 at Lumpinee Stadium.

ONE Championship: Chatri wants Tawanchai vs Jonathan Haggerty ‘mega fight’ at Wembley – ‘it needs to happen’

Chatri Sityodtong with Tawanchai and Jonathan Haggerty at a B2B press event in Bangkok. Photos: ONE Championship

Chatri Sityodtong at the ONE IGNITE event in Bangkok.

Chatri Sityodtong with Jonathan Haggerty,

Jonathan Haggerty stands over Fabricio Andarde after knocking him down.

ONE Championship: Mehdi Zatout protests six-month ban after Jonathan Haggerty altercation

Alaverdi Ramazanov confronts Jonathan Haggerty is the ring at ONE Fight Night 16 after the main event. Photos: ONE Championship

Mehdi Zatout lays his gloves down on the canvas after retiring at ONE on Prime Video 3 in October 2022.

Alaverdi Ramazanov speaks in the ring after Jonathan Haggerty’s title win. on 

Jonathan Haggerty during his title celebrations.

Sport

Martial Arts

Muay Thai

Former bantamweight Muay Thai champion will face the No 5-ranked Carrillo at ONE Friday Fights 46 in December
The bout, a potential title eliminator, bolsters a stacked year-end card at Lumpinee Stadium, which already boasts three title fights.


Former ONE Championship bantamweight Muay Thai champion will face No 5-ranked Carrillo at ONE Friday Fights 46 in December.


Superbon