Numsurin Knows He Is the Underdog at The Inner Circle 36, Plans to Prove Critics Wrong
Former ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title challenger Numsurin Chor Ketwina is back with a clear mission.
The 31-year-old Thai will face former ISKA Kickboxing World Champion Akram Hamidi in the atomweight Muay Thai main event of The Inner Circle 36 on Friday, October 30, streaming exclusively via live.onefc.com.
Numsurin was flawless during his time on ONE Friday Fights last year, rattling off six straight victories to earn his US$100,000 main roster contract. He was also awarded a shot at the inaugural ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship fight against Nadaka Yoshinari last year, but he fell just short via unanimous decision.
He arrives at The Inner Circle 36 with a 7-2 ONE Championship record and a 106-21 career mark, and the path back to the title runs directly through the winning streak he is determined to build starting on October 30.
Numsurin Plans to Press Forward at The Inner Circle 36
The Thai has arrived at a specific tactical reason for hunting a finish rather than letting the bout develop at distance. Numsurin has identified the danger of allowing Hamidi to dictate the pace and has built his game plan around removing that threat as early as possible.
"I believe my boxing is sharper. I'll press forward from the opening bell and stay right in his face the entire time. I'll definitely be looking for an early finish, because if I let it go to a decision, he might point-fight his way to a win with his volume," Numsurin said.
His rival, Hamidi, is moving down from strawweight to atomweight for this contest. The Algerian-French striker is a multi-time ISKA Kickboxing World Champion who carries a 55-6 career record, including three ONE Champship victories, into the battle.
Thai star Acknowledges Hamidi's Top-Tier Credentials
The Thai fighter has not arrived at The Inner Circle 36 with misplaced confidence about the level of opposition sitting across from him. Numsurin has been honest about the matchup dynamics while standing firm in his belief that the result will go his way.
"My sole objective for this fight is to get the win, period. I know I'm considered a bit of an underdog here because Akram has fought top-tier guys. He fought Sam-A , beat Kongchai , and had a really close kickboxing fight with Prajanchai ," he explained.
The resume Numsurin is working against is a credible one. A fighter who has shared the ring with Sam-A, one of the greatest Muay Thai strikers in history, and pushed Prajanchai in a kickboxing contest is not the kind of opponent to be taken lightly.
Numsurin Needs a Winning Streak to Chase a Nadaka Rematch
The October 30 main event is not simply about the result on the night. Numsurin has identified it as the first step in a sequence that has one specific endpoint.
"Getting a winning streak going is crucial for me right now because my ultimate goal is to earn a rematch with Nadaka. I told myself not to make any careless mistakes, and I am 100 percent sure I will get the win over Akram," he offered.
Nadaka's unanimous decision in the inaugural ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship fight last year has remained an open chapter for the Thai ever since. A clean, decisive win over a credentialed ISKA Kickboxing World Champion would be the strongest possible opening statement for the run Numsurin needs to build.
Watch The Inner Circle 36 exclusively on live.onefc.com beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET/4:30 a.m. PT.
