"My heart is still fighting" - Muay Thai legend Nong-O Hama puts the lid on retirement talk ahead of ONE Friday Fights 58 return

Former ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nong-O Hama has shut down the idea of retiring from professional fighting during his most recent interview with ONE Championship ahead of his fight against Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai on April 5 at ONE Friday Fights 58.

Nong-O claimed that as long as his heart is still fighting, he won't walk away from the sport and thinks that his recent slump is just a normal occurrence for any athlete competing at the highest level of competition.

The 37-year-old Thai icon claimed:

"In my opinion, my setbacks are something that can happen to any athlete. But my heart is still fighting."

Nong-O is currently on a two-fight losing streak after Jonathan Haggerty (in April 2023 at ONE Fight Night 9) and Nico Carrillo (in December 2023 at ONE Friday Fights 46) handed him back-to-back knockout losses to dethrone him from his seat as the king of the division.

Before these setbacks, the Evolve MMA representative left a destructive trail in the weight class, where he racked up 10 straight wins, including eight world title victories.

Included on his victim list were Fabio Pinca, Mehdi Zatout, Han Zi Hao, Hiroaki Suzuki, Brice Delval, Saemapetch Fairtex, Rodlek PK Saenchai, Felipe Lobo, Liam Harrison, and Alaverdi Ramazanov.

---

Nong-O Hama wants to snap losing streak against Kulabdam on April 5

Following his second-round knockout defeat at the hands of 'The King of the North' from his previous bout, Nong-O is eager to prove that there is more left on his tank when he fights another younger on the rise, Kulabdam, on April 5 inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Kulabdam won his four previous fights to inch closer to the top five rankings of the division, but the Evolve MMA representative has other plans in mind when they meet inside the ring.

ONE Friday Fights 58 is available on the ONE Super App, the official YouTube channel, and other digital platforms. Check your local listing for more details.