ONE Championship is heading back to Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium this Friday, November 13, for an action-packed night of Muay Thai at The Inner Circle 38. We’re talking five explosive bouts, topped off by two quarterfinals in the 2026-2027 ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix, featuring a lineup of two living legends and two seriously talented young phenoms. Everyone’s chasing a spot in those crucial semifinals.
Living Legends Collide Again
Seriously, it’s finally happening. Two of the most decorated Muay Thai World Champions in ONE Championship history, Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon and Nong-O Hama, are sharing the ring after waiting nearly a year. This Grand Prix quarterfinal pits the #2-ranked contender Rodtang against the #3-ranked Nong-O. For Rodtang, this is absolutely a dream matchup, a chance to fight the guy he looked up to as a kid.
Their first showdown was supposed to go down at ONE 173 last November for the vacant flyweight belt. But it all fell apart. Rodtang made weight, then got sick and had to pull out, ending up in the hospital. Nong-O missed weight after failing hydration. The whole title fight was scrapped.
Both guys have been through the wringer since then. Rodtang suffered a fifth-round TKO against Takeru Segawa in their ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Title rematch, which was the first time he’d ever been stopped in ONE. Nong-O got knocked out by Asadula “The Dagestan Ninja” Imangazaliev in March while going for the vacant ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title. But he bounced back strong, beating fellow Thai legend Kongthoranee Sor Sommai in their trilogy fight just three months later. Rodtang needs a statement win here to get back on track and keep his Grand Prix dream alive. Nong-O, on the other hand, can hand the sport’s biggest megastar a rare defeat. Whoever wins takes a massive step toward the semifinals, no doubt about it.
Young Guns Ready To Explode
The other quarterfinal features some serious young-gun energy as #4-ranked Shimon Yoshinari takes on #5-ranked Ramadan Ondash. These are two of the division’s youngest stars, and they both pack enough firepower to threaten anyone in the entire field.
Shimon, a 22-year-old Japanese slayer, is a former WBC Muay Thai World Champion and the cousin of ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka Yoshinari. His record stands at an impressive 27-1, and he hasn’t lost since debuting in ONE in late 2024. He earned his US$100,000 contract and a global roster spot after grabbing his fifth promotional win against Johan Ghazali in April. His biggest moment this year came in mid-September when he knocked out Suablack Tor Pran49 in front of his home crowd.
Ondash is every bit the revelation. This 20-year-old Lebanese knockout artist holds a 14-4 record and earned his own contract after four spectacular wins at strawweight. A close loss to Aliff Sor Dechapan, who is now the ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion, moved him up to flyweight, where he’s already beaten both Suriyanlek Por Yenying and Ghazali. Shimon wants to keep his flawless ONE run going, and “The Scorpion” Ondash wants to stay unbeaten at flyweight and climb those rankings. Only one of them can book a semifinal spot.
Beyond these two high-profile Grand Prix quarterfinals, several fighters have a chance to turn a strong showing into a life-changing US$100,000 contract. This Friday is going to be absolutely wild.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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