‘I Guarantee A Knockout’ – Kongthoranee Backs Rodtang, Imangazaliev In Flyweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinals
The ONE veteran offers his thoughts on the prestigious eight-man Muay Thai tournament.
By Kriel Ibarrola
Nov 4, 2026, 03:50 UTC
Not every fighter with a stake in the 2026-2027 ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix has a seat in its bracket. Three-time Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Kongthoranee Sor Sommai watches from the outside, but he knows much of the field from the inside.
The Sor Sommai representative faces Taiki Naito under kickboxing rules at ONE Fight Night 49 on November 6. Still, flyweight Muay Thai gold remains his ultimate target, and whoever wins the tournament will wear it.
Naturally, that gives him plenty of interest in the opening round. At The Inner Circle 38 on November 13, former ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon meets former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Hama in an all-Thai showdown in the quarterfinals.
A week later at The Inner Circle 39 on November 20, reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Asadula “The Dagestan Ninja” Imangazaliev defends his crown in a rematch with #1-ranked contender Aslamjon “El Pantera” Ortikov in another quarterfinal clash.
Both cards stream live in Asia primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium, exclusively for subscribers at live.onefc.com.
Few athletes on the roster know Nong-O as well as Kongthoranee does. He claimed their first encounter by split decision at ONE Fight Night 28 in February 2025, before the Thai legend evened the score that May and settled their trilogy at The Inner Circle 20 this past June.
History and respect aside, he sees this one going the other way.
Kongthoranee told onefc.com:
“Personally, I favor Rodtang. He’s younger, has a broader arsenal, and possesses heavy, explosive power.
“As for Nong-O, his strength is well-known. He’s the ‘Unkillable King.’ But with all due respect, Nong-O is getting up there in age, though he’s still incredibly strong. It’s definitely going to be an exciting, explosive war.”
Rodtang brings more than a reputation into this fight. For five years, “The Iron Man” ruled the flyweight division and became one of the most recognizable faces in modern Muay Thai.
Now, the Jitmuangnon Gym star wants back the throne he once called his own. Kongthoranee’s backing, however, is as personal as it is analytical.
The 29-year-old said:
“I really admire Rodtang because, well, Rodtang is Rodtang.
“In this fight, whoever leaves an opening or makes a mistake is definitely getting dropped. Right now, I’d lean 60 percent for Rodtang and 40 percent for Nong-O.”
This also marks Rodtang’s first Muay Thai outing since 2024, after splitting a pair of kickboxing bouts with ONE Hall of Famer Takeru “Natural Born Krusher” Segawa. If anything, Kongthoranee expects the Rodtang of old to return to “the art of eight limbs.”
Neither legend built his career on caution, and both should stay true to their styles and go out on their shields.
He said:
“The chances of a knockout are definitely higher than going to the scorecards, because neither of them can afford to leave a single opening.
“I guarantee a knockout. It’ll most likely be Rodtang.”
Kongthoranee Sees The Same Ending For Imangazaliev-Ortikov Rematch
Kongthoranee Sor Sommai’s insight runs just as deep on the other side of the bracket. He shared the ring with Ortikov at ONE Fight Night 36 in October 2025, then with Imangazaliev at ONE Fight Night 39 this past January, coming up short on both nights.
As for the champion and challenger, they first met at The Inner Circle 20, where Imangazaliev prevailed by split decision after five rounds to claim the vacant crown. With their rivalry renewed, Kongthoranee sees the belt staying right where it is.
He said:
“This fight is definitely going to be another banger. Personally, I favor Asadula because he has a much wider variety of strikes compared to Aslamjon.
“Aslamjon has his strengths too, mainly his speed, but his defense isn’t quite as solid yet.”
Kongthoranee speaks from experience. He absorbed the Russian’s offense firsthand in January, when Imangazaliev ended their encounter early in the second round.
Longtime combat sports commentator Joe Rogan has called “The Dagestan Ninja” one of his favorite strikers, and Kongthoranee would be the last to disagree.
He said:
“Asadula is dangerous. He has fast, heavy strikes coming at you from unpredictable angles.
“On top of that, he’s still undefeated. Yeah, he’s never lost to anyone and is riding a massive win streak.”
Much like the Rodtang–Nong-O clash, Kongthoranee doesn’t see the judges deciding this one. The pair’s first meeting hung on the slimmest of margins, and he believes the champion will erase any doubt in the sequel.
Come November 20, he expects Imangazaliev to settle matters in emphatic fashion, retain his 26 pounds of gold, and march on to the semifinals.
He said:
“I think a knockout is guaranteed in this one. I believe it’ll be a knockout victory for Asadula.”
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