Ramadan Ondash, Shimon Yoshinari Exchange Words Ahead of Grand Prix Showdown at ONE Friday Fights 178

Japan's Shimon Yoshinari and Lebanon's Ramadan "The Scorpion" Ondash will collide in the opening contest of ONE Friday Fights 178 on Friday, November 13.

The show goes down live at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and North American fans can watch live via ONE Championship’s YouTube channel.

Before their fight, former ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon meets former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Hama at The Inner Circle 38, exclusively via live.onefc.com, so the winner will find out quickly who is waiting on the other side of the bracket.

Ondash Is Proud of His Rise but Is Not Focused on the Belt Yet

Ondash earned his six-figure contract with four straight wins in ONE Championship at strawweight before losing his main roster debut to Aliff Sor Dechapan, now the ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion.

Rather than fixating on the title, he is keeping his attention on the work in front of him.

"I'm proud of myself, and I don't care about the belt. The belt will come along, but I want to prove myself. My dream is the belt. But I don't care about the belt right now. If I focus on the belt, the belt will never come. Now, I focus on my opponent and my training," Ondash said.

Ondash, 20, is the #5-ranked contender with a 14-4 career record and a 6-1 ONE Championship mark, and he has moved up from strawweight to win twice against world-class opposition at flyweight.

Yoshinari Believes His Plan Will Prevail at ONE Friday Fights 178

The Japanese star has studied Ondash and acknowledges the danger he presents. He is also confident that his preparation puts him in control if he executes it.

"Ramadan has his speed, his power, and he is dangerous. But if I can execute what I have trained for in this fight, I'm going to be the one who has the advantage. If I can do what I have planned, it will be a fight that easily ends," Yoshinari explained.

Yoshinari, 22, is a former WBC Muay Thai World Champion and the number four-ranked contender with a 27-1 pro record and a perfect 6-0 ONE Championship mark. He is on a 14-fight winning streak, with recent wins over teenage sensation Johan Ghazali and a knockout of Thai veteran Suablack Tor Pran49, and he is the cousin of ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka Yoshinari.

Ondash Calls Rodtang His Idol, Says He Will Win if They Meet

Ondash is already looking down the bracket, and he is not starstruck. The Lebanese power puncher has identified a possible future opponent who once inspired him.

"Rodtang was my idol. Now, he's like my future opponent. If I fight Rodtang, I'm going to win. I don't care if he's my idol. I'm coming to win. You don't know my punches now. I've gotten bigger," Ondash said.

First, though, he has to get past Yoshinari, a fighter who has not lost since the early days of his career. Both young stars are chasing a spot in the semifinals, and the winner will have a major statement on the road to flyweight gold.