Kongthoranee Sor Sommai’s tattoo history is unusually well documented by ONE Championship. In its It’s My Identity feature, the Thai Muay Thai fighter says his first tattoo was a traditional koi on his leg, done when he was around 16 or 17. He chose the koi and the large chest dragon because he liked how they looked. A 2024 portrait of his mentor Sommai Sakulmetta has a different, personal meaning. Fight and training photos show the broader chest and arm coverage; Kongthoranee says the tattoos have become part of his identity.
Why his tattoos stand out
The main pieces sit in clear zones: the dragon across his chest, extensive ink over both arms, and a portrait lower on his torso. ONE photographs show those placements in fight and training settings, while the interview explains what is known about selected designs.
Kongthoranee’s first tattoo was a traditional koi on his leg
In the ONE interview, Kongthoranee says he got his first tattoo at about 16 or 17: a traditional koi on his leg. He chose it because he thought it looked cool, without a deeper meaning in mind. The accessible feature does not provide a close-up of the koi, so its exact size, colors and other details remain unclear.
The dragon chest tattoo was chosen for visual impact
Kongthoranee describes the chest dragon the same way: he liked its look and was not thinking about a deeper meaning. In the photographs, it spreads across one side of his chest and shoulder, with a long scaled body, pale highlights and dark outlines. Floral shapes and a lotus-like cluster sit nearby. The dragon’s appearance shifts with his pose, but its broad placement stays consistent.
His chest and arms form a connected tattoo field
His tattoos continue across both arms and shoulders. The front-facing Muay Thai Records portrait shows the layout clearly: the dragon fills the viewer’s right side of the chest, while a large figure and lotus-like color sit opposite it. A training photo from Thailand shows the same chest and arm work in a gym. Many smaller lines and symbols remain difficult to make out.
The mentor portrait tattoo was added in 2024
Kongthoranee identifies the portrait of Sommai Sakulmetta, owner of the Sor Sommai gym, as his favorite tattoo. He says he got it in 2024 and that Sakulmetta supported him throughout his career, treating him like another father. The portrait sits below the main chest designs, with lettering above it and a name beneath it. That personal tribute is distinct from the koi and dragon, which he chose for their appearance.
The tattoo identity is visible in his ring persona
Kongthoranee says tattoos are part of his identity and that people remember him partly because of them. ONE fight coverage makes the ink visible during entrances, after bouts and in corner photos, rather than only in a posed portrait. The chest and arm designs appear with gloves, ropes and green or pink Fairtex shorts; the setting changes, but the main placements are easy to recognize.
The dragon, koi, and portrait have different documented meanings
His interview gives three pieces different contexts. He chose the leg koi and chest dragon because he liked how they looked. He describes the 2024 Sommai Sakulmetta portrait as a tribute to a mentor who treated him like family. The surrounding floral and lotus-like forms are visible, but he does not assign them a personal meaning in the source.
What the published images establish about Kongthoranee’s ink
The published material establishes a traditional koi on the leg, a large dragon and other figures across the chest, dense work on the arms, and the mentor portrait below the chest lettering. ONE images show the same pieces in a ring, a temple portrait and a training space. The backgrounds and poses change; the broad arrangement does not. Smaller motifs and the exact edges of some pieces are not clear in every photograph.
Why the tattoos stand out
The collection combines designs Kongthoranee chose for their appearance with a portrait tied to a specific relationship. His interview supplies that distinction; the photographs show where the main pieces sit. The other visible shapes are best left as visual descriptions unless he has explained them.
Sources for the documented record include the ONE Championship tattoo interview, the ONE Championship athlete profile and the tattoo-visible photographs shown here.