3 Things Fans Must Know About Mongkoldetlek Por Pim-on Ahead Of ONE Friday Fights 174
Mongkoldetlek Por Pim-on has been on fire since returning to the world’s largest martial arts organization earlier this year.
Mongkoldetlek Por Pim-on has been on fire since returning to the world’s largest martial arts organization earlier this year. The Thai standout is riding a three-bout winning streak heading into his ONE Friday Fights 174 main event showdown, and another victory could put him right back where he once stood: on ONE Championship's global roster with a life-changing contract in hand.
Before that moment arrives, here are three things fans should know about the 31-year-old veteran's journey to this point.
1. He Rose From One Of Thailand's Poorest Regions
Long before chasing titles, Mongkoldetlek was fighting simply to survive.
Born in Thailand's Isaan region, an area long known as the country's most impoverished yet most prolific breeding ground for Muay Thai talent, he grew up as the son of rice farmers whose entire livelihood depended on the whims of the weather.
Every harvest was a gamble, and poverty was simply part of daily life.
That hardship, however, shaped the same region that has produced more Muay Thai World Champions than anywhere else in Thailand.
Mongkoldetlek's story began in that same unforgiving landscape, where fighting wasn't just a sport. It was often a lifeline out of dire circumstances.
2. Muay Thai Was A True Family Affair
Like so many Thai fighters before him, Mongkoldetlek's path into Muay Thai began by watching his older brother train and compete.
When he turned 10 years old, Mongkoldetlek joined his father, brother, and uncle for makeshift training sessions in the dirt outside their wooden stilt house.
There was no ring in sight, just an old bag and a patch of cleared ground.
His uncle, a former fighter himself, held pads and helped develop the young boy's skills. That same uncle also gave him his first ring name, Mongkolpetch, which he used to compete under.
At just 10 years old, Mongkoldetlek made his professional debut at a local temple fair, earning 120 baht (US$3.50) for his first fight.
He spent that money entirely on games and snacks at the festival, while his later fight purses would go directly toward supporting his family.
3. He's A Decorated Champion With ONE Championship Battle Scars
Mongkoldetlek's résumé speaks for itself.
In 2017, he captured the vacant 130-pound Lumpinee Stadium World Title by defeating Suakim Pongsuphan PK, the future #1-ranked ONE Championship bantamweight contender and four-time Muay Thai World Champion.
That same year, his war with longtime rival Nawaphol Lookpachrist earned Channel 7 Stadium's Fight of the Year honors.
In 2018, he defeated three opponents in a single night to claim the Toyota Marathon Tournament Title at 140 pounds.
A year later, Mongkoldetlek’s journey in ONE Championship began. During his initial run with the world’s largest martial arts organization, he defeated the likes of future ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Joseph Lasiri and former top-five flyweight contender Elias Mahmoudi.
He even went the distance with future ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Haggerty in February 2022.
Now, after four years away, Mongkoldetlek looks stronger than ever, and the ONE Friday Fights 174 main event will be a pivotal moment in his second act with ONE Championship.
