5 Takeaways From ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II
Bangkok hosted another action-packed lineup inside Lumpinee Stadium with ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II in U.S. primetime on Friday, May 2.
At the helm of it all were two of Thailand’s favorite sons, as Kongthoranee Sor Sommai and Nong-O Hama duked it out in a sensational flyweight Muay Thai rematch.
The delectable action delivered a card worth remembering and also left fans with plenty to think about.
As 2025 rolls on, these are five takeaways from another exciting event inside one of the most storied venues in martial arts.
Nong-O Adds Intrigue To Vacant World Title Race
Life at flyweight is looking good for Nong-O.
He entered the ring for his rematch against Kongthoranee appearing fit, fresh, and determined. And the result was a dazzling performance, albeit with some adversity, to notch a unanimous decision victory.
The Thai legend did not look 38 years of age. He was sharp and quick, firing his piston-like punches toward the face of Kongthoranee.
He even answered the question of whether he could still take hard shots, eating a Kongthoranee punch in the second frame that briefly had him wobbled. The survival instincts were just as impressive as his pristine technique.
With a huge win over the #3-ranked contender, Nong-O is right in the thick of the race for the vacant ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title. What a story it would be if he could punch his ticket and challenge for the crown.
In one of the most talent-rich divisions in all of combat sports, having Nong-O on the doorstep of another World Championship fight is a thrilling proposition. And every fellow contender would present a mouth-watering matchup.
Tye Ruotolo’s MMA Tease Is Tantalizing
American sensation Tye Ruotolo successfully defended the ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title against Canadian powerhouse Dante Leon in a competitive trilogy match.
However, it was not just Ruotolo’s defense that grabbed attention – it was what he said after putting the 26 pounds of gold back over his shoulder.
The Atos BJJ representative confirmed that he is still looking to make a transition into MMA, just like his twin brother, Kade Ruotolo. And given Kade’s early success in the all-around sport, Tye could be an immediate factor in the welterweight division.
Kade has been perfect since moving into MMA and flashed his stand-up abilities in his last outing at ONE 171: Qatar before earning his third consecutive submission win. Tye has all of the tools to have an equal impact.
The 22-year-old Ruotolos have dominated the submission grappling scene for years, and Tye could make waves by chasing two-sport gold himself.
Alipourandi Seizes The Moment In Epic Debut
Who is Abolfazl Alipourandi? That was what many were asking when the Iranian accepted a short-notice opportunity to meet British fan favorite Liam Nolan in a lightweight Muay Thai matchup.
Just 59 seconds into the match, Alipourandi provided the answer with a stunning head-kick knockout.
Careers are built upon moments that come in fractions of a second when a window of opportunity opens. Alipourandi had full belief that he could compete against someone of Nolan’s caliber – and he showed out.
The Team Mehdi Zatout athlete will need to continue capturing those moments as he eyes bigger goals among the division’s elite. From obscurity to ONE Fight Night 31 glory and international acclaim, Alipourandi has arrived.
ONE Friday Fights Produces Elite Talent
ONE Friday Fights may be the most exciting weekly martial arts event series on the planet, but it also develops the next crop of top talent for the organization’s main roster.
That was evident at ONE Fight Night 31 with young phenoms Akif Guluzada, Abdulla Dayakaev, and Lucas Gabriel all picking up key wins.
Dayakaev might have crashed the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title discussion with a second-round TKO over former World Title challenger Saemapetch Fairtex. Meanwhile, Guluzada and Gabriel dispatched Sean Climaco and Zhang Lipeng, respectively, with dominant unanimous decisions.
The performances from these upstarts are continuous proof that ONE Friday Fights is the gateway to achieving greatness. The next era of elite martial artists is being built on Fridays in Asia primetime at Lumpinee Stadium.
The Estupinan Brothers Are Truly Special
Top-five contender Johan Estupinan has taken the flyweight Muay Thai division by storm with pizazz and show-stopping results. Many questioned whether his twin brother, Jordan Estupinan, could replicate that kind of impact in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
Following a standout unanimous decision over Ali Saldoev at ONE Fight Night 31, Jordan proved that he certainly can.
Call it twin magic or anything else you want – the Estupinan brothers are showing they are special. A combined 7-0 record in ONE has displayed their incredible skill sets, establishing a new standard for South American strikers.
Johan has already kicked the door down on the flyweight rankings, and Jordan has announced his presence in a major way. Their talent and star power are redefining an era for an entire region while establishing themselves as undeniable forces.
