With 13 thrilling fights in ONE Championship under his belt, has solidified himself as a global star and one of the flyweight Muay Thai division바카라™s most dangerous contenders.
On May 2 in U.S. primetime, the 28-year-old Thai will rematch former long-reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion in a high-stakes flyweight bout in the main event of .
After earning a split-decision victory over Nong-O in February at , Kongthoranee hopes to erase any doubts that he is the superior fighter right now and continue his march toward the vacant ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title.
A former three-time Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion, Kongthoranee has looked nearly untouchable over the course of his ONE tenure.
Before he goes toe-to-toe with Nong-O at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, we take a closer look at why the #3-ranked contender is such a special fighter.
#1 His Unstoppable Counter-Striking
Kongthoranee is a true master technician, and while he바카라™s plenty capable of leading the dance, he tends to do his best work when fighting on the counter.
This doesn바카라™t mean he바카라™s a passive or inactive striker. Quite the opposite 바카라“ he loves to pressure his opponents, draw out their attacks, and then counter those attacks with big strikes of his own.
Above all, the Thai is a high-output counter-striker who has proven to be an incredibly difficult puzzle to solve.
#2 His Venomous Straight Left
Kongthoranee바카라™s thunderous straight left hand is his single most dangerous weapon 바카라“ a trademark strike that바카라™s carried him to 11 spectacular victories in ONE.
Fighting out of the southpaw stance, he바카라™s an expert at landing his straight left on the counter, just as he did to send #4-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender (and many others) crashing to the canvas.
#3 His Brutal Left Kick
The Sor Sommai representative complements his terrifying left hand with a booming left kick.
Whether he바카라™s throwing it to his opponent바카라™s body, legs, or head, the left kick always does big damage and serves as a constant knockout threat, often forcing his adversaries on the defensive as they try to avoid this show-stopping weapon.
#4 His Slashing Clinch Elbows
While Kongthoranee generally likes to strike at range, he바카라™s also a talented clinch fighter with concussive elbow strikes.
Indeed, he found some success against Nong-O with elbows from the clinch, and fans won바카라™t soon forget his highlight-reel elbow knockout of at .
#5 His Unbreakable Mind
Beyond his tactical approach or any individual strike, Kongthoranee has set himself apart with his unshakable mindset and superhuman toughness.
Even when he바카라™s found himself in trouble, he바카라™s almost always roared back with both aggression and composure.
One need look no further than Kongthoranee바카라™s unforgettable war with at when he suffered a second-round knockdown only to pick up the pace and score a stunning knockdown of his own, ultimately securing the decision victory.
