TLDR
- Rodtang Jitmuangnon faces Nong-O Hama on November 13 in a flyweight Muay Thai Grand Prix quarterfinal in Bangkok
- Rodtang says his friendship with Nong-O will not soften his approach when they meet in the ring
- Their original November 2025 bout was canceled after Nong-O failed hydration testing and Rodtang fell ill
- The winner advances to face either Shimon Yoshinari or Ramadan Ondash in the semifinal round
- The Grand Prix is an eight-man tournament with the winner receiving both the divisional title and a silver belt
Sources: middleeasy.com | bangkokpost.com | sports.yahoo.com
Rodtang Jitmuangnon will face Nong-O Hama on November 13 in a flyweight Muay Thai Grand Prix quarterfinal at The Inner Circle 38 in Bangkok. The former champion says his respect for Nong-O will not change his approach when the bell rings.
“Brotherhood has to stay on the sideline when we both step into the ring this Friday,” Rodtang said at Tuesday’s virtual press conference. He described over a month of focused training and said he feels in his best physical condition.
A Fierce Flyweight ~ Rodtang Jitmuangnon is a Thai professional Muay Thai fighter and mixed martial artist who's also knows as Iron Man! He's like a gnat u just can't ☠️ 😅 pic.twitter.com/eCrKz9JbXq
— Catarina Senora Gatita (@WyattCatarina) November 23, 2025
Rodtang grew up admiring Nong-O, but he plans to draw a clear line between friendship and competition. The 20-year age difference between the fighters has created a mentor-student dynamic outside the ring.
Previous Match Never Happened
The two fighters were originally scheduled to meet at ONE 173 in November 2025. That bout fell apart after Nong-O failed a hydration test and Rodtang developed illness with muscle cramps.
Nong-O said in a November 10 interview that he was disappointed to miss the overseas appearance. He expects his younger opponent to apply pressure during their rescheduled meeting.
Nong-O has studied Rodtang but declined to reveal a fixed game plan. He said he will look for openings and adjust during the contest.
The matchup represents Rodtang’s return to Muay Thai after two recent kickboxing bouts against Takeru Segawa. He won the first fight by first-round knockout at ONE 172 but lost the rematch by fifth-round TKO at ONE Samurai 1.
Rodtang’s former flyweight Muay Thai championship ended after he missed weight in November 2024. He did not lose the belt to Takeru in their kickboxing matches.
Winner Advances to Semifinal
Friday’s quarterfinal is a non-title bout scheduled for three three-minute rounds. The winner will advance to face either Shimon Yoshinari or Ramadan Ondash in the semifinal.
Yoshinari and Ondash meet on the same card at Lumpinee Stadium. The 20-year-old Ondash called a potential meeting with Rodtang his “dream fight.”
“Everyone will see a new version of me in this fight,” Ondash said at Tuesday’s press conference. “Once I get past Shimon, my dream fight is against Rodtang.”
Yoshinari said he would welcome the chance to fight Rodtang but is focused on his immediate opponent. The Japanese fighter is ranked fourth in the division, one spot above Ondash at fifth.
Yoshinari has six wins and one no contest in ONE Championship. He earned a main-roster contract with a decision win over Johan Ghazali in April, then knocked out Suablack Tor Pran49 in September.
Ondash also defeated Ghazali, taking a split decision in July. He has two wins at flyweight after moving up from strawweight.
The Grand Prix is an eight-man elimination bracket spread across multiple events. Current champion Asadula Imangazaliev defends his title against Aslamjon Ortikov on November 20 at The Inner Circle 39.
Black Panther and Ubaid Hussain complete the other quarterfinal matchup on the same card. Title bouts are scheduled for five rounds, and the belt can change hands before the tournament final.
The eventual tournament winner will receive both the divisional title and a separate silver Grand Prix belt. Imangazaliev has said he wants to fight Rodtang in a potential final.
Rodtang told ONE’s Thai website he sees little difference between his two possible semifinal opponents. He initially viewed Yoshinari as strong in every department but noted Ghazali dropped him with a counter in April.
The Inner Circle 38 starts at 6:30 p.m. local time in Bangkok and is available only through ONE Championship’s membership service. ONE Friday Fights 178 follows two hours later on separate broadcast platforms.
