The weight cut to strawweight was working against him. His body had outgrown the division. Now Ramadan Ondash arrives at flyweight with more muscle, more power, and a list of names he wants at ONE SAMURAI 2.
Ondash makes his flyweight debut against Thai veteran Suriyanlek Por Yenying in the flyweight Muay Thai main event of The Inner Circle, streaming live for members at live.onefc.com from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on May 29.
The 19-year-old Lebanese striker holds a 4-1 ONE Championship record and returns for the first time since a close unanimous decision loss to Aliff Sor Dechapan at ONE Fight Night 38 in December. Suriyanlek brings an 85-21 professional record, 11 ONE Championship victories, and the kind of forward pressure and forward-pressing combination work that has made him one of the most consistent performers in the weekly series for the better part of three years.
The decision to move up was not tactical. It was physical. Ondash’s body changed between camps. His team looked at what he had become and told him the move made sense. He agreed immediately.
“My body changed because I don’t have fat in my body, only muscles. My team told me moving up is better for me because now I feel stronger, more conditioning, more power. I feel very good,” he said.
“Next week you will see a different Ramadan. Different from before. More relaxed. More clear. I changed my mind a little bit.”
Ramadan Ondash lays out blueprint for ONE SAMURAI 2
Ramadan Ondash already knows where he wants to go after Suriyanlek. The Ghazali matchup has been building online since both teenagers emerged as the two most explosive young names in the flyweight division, and Ondash confirmed it is the fight he wants next, at the specific event he has dreamed of competing at.
The two met during their amateur IFMA days and the respect between them is genuine. Inside the ring on May 29, none of that matters.
“Everybody wants to see me and Jojo. We are both strong, young, and we have big futures together. A very beautiful fight,” he said.
“We were friends. But inside the ring there are no friends. After the fight we can be friends again.”