Kiamran Nabati Outslugs Nontachai by Decision at The Inner Circle 31
Kiamran Nabati got back on track Friday night, taking a unanimous decision over Nontachai Jitmuangnon in an action-packed bantamweight Muay Thai main event at The Inner Circle 31.
The Russian outworked the Thai over three rounds at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, snapping a four-month wait that began with his first professional loss and a canceled August booking.
ONE Championship confirmed the result as a unanimous decision after a fight that lived up to the “outslug” billing both camps expected.
Nabati entered looking to rebound from a split-decision loss to Yod-IQ Or Pimolsri on May 22.
That night ended the only unbeaten run of Nabati’s career and later became even more relevant when Yod-IQ captured the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title.
Nontachai arrived with different momentum. He had won three straight, including a third-round TKO of Semih Sah Cindir and a unanimous decision over Felipe Lobo at ONE Fight Night 43.
The pairing was first set for ONE Fight Night 46 in August. Nontachai fell ill, went to the hospital, and did not receive medical clearance before weigh-ins.
Nabati also failed hydration in that window and eventually stopped trying to make weight once the fight was already off.
There was no repeat this week. Nabati weighed 144.8 pounds. Nontachai hit the 145-pound limit, and both cleared hydration.
The delay only raised the stakes. Nabati had said he would hunt Nontachai’s head and wanted a finish that could reopen a path to Yod-IQ.
Nontachai answered before the event that he was not scared and told Nabati not to underestimate him.
Neither man folded once the bell rang. They spent three rounds trading in close range, with Nabati’s pressure and punching volume carrying the judges after a fight that never settled into a cautious championship pace.
The win moves Nabati to 5-1 inside ONE and restores him to the win column after the only official loss on his record.
It also stops Nontachai’s three-fight surge and keeps the Thai from jumping the line toward a title conversation that had started to form around his recent form.
Context still matters in this division. Nabati’s ONE résumé already includes a first-round knockout of Suablack Tor Pran49 that earned him a six-figure contract and a unanimous decision over former champion Nong-O Hama.
Those results are why a bounce-back win over a hot Thai prospect is more than a routine decision. It puts him back in the group of names that can be matched toward Yod-IQ.
Nontachai remains a dangerous Jitmuangnon Gym product who won his ONE deal through Road to ONE: Thailand. One loss in a main event does not erase the kick-heavy game that produced his recent streak.
The same Bangkok doubleheader also featured Petsiam T2A Waterubon staying unbeaten in ONE and Gump taking a split decision over Velihan Palit on the kickboxing side of ONE Friday Fights 171.
For Nabati, the next question is straightforward. Yod-IQ holds the belt Nabati wanted before May, and Friday’s decision is the first required step if that rematch is going to be sold as a title fight rather than unfinished business.
ONE has not announced Nabati’s next opponent. A return against another ranked bantamweight, or a delayed title eliminator, would fit the position he just reclaimed at Lumpinee.
Nontachai will look to reset quickly after seeing a four-fight plan end in a decision loss on the biggest weekly stage the promotion runs in Bangkok.
The Inner Circle 31 main event finally happened after a month of missed dates, failed checks, and extra camp time. Nabati used it to get back on track the hard way, winning a slugfest instead of the early knockout he had promised.