Thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao‘s climb back toward a ONE World Title will continue at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug when he takes on Chinese phenom “Fighting Rooster” Zhang Peimian in a pivotal strawweight kickboxing clash.
The former two-sport kingpin aims to turn back the clock with a vintage performance on Friday.
Thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao‘s climb back toward a ONE World Title will continue at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug when he takes on Chinese phenom “Fighting Rooster” Zhang Peimian in a pivotal strawweight kickboxing clash.
That matchup will air live in U.S. primetime this coming Friday, November 8, from the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
For the 41-year-old Sam-A, this fight will be another chance to prove he still belongs among the best of the best strikers on the planet.
He most recently scored a spectacular first-round knockout over French-Algerian standout Akram “La Pepite” Hamidi, reminding fans that he carries jaw-dropping power in his pinpoint counter-striking.
Despite that win against a young star, many wonder if the veteran is just about ready to call it quits. But for his part, Sam-A told onefc.com that he’s not considering retirement yet:
“I will keep fighting until my body can’t take it anymore.”
As a former ONE Strawweight Kickboxing and Muay Thai World Champion, as well as a former ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion, Sam-A has cemented himself as an all-time great and certainly has nothing left to prove in his career.
Still, he continues to challenge himself against young and hungry contenders. His inspiration to keep fighting, he says, comes from his loved ones:
“I have two motivation sources. The first is from my family, from my children. I think I still have the strength to fight to earn some money for my children’s education.
“The second source is from my wife because she always motivates and pushes me. She says she will always be by my side.”
Motivated to secure a more comfortable future for his children and make his wife proud, the Evolve representative is aiming to once again wear 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold around his waist.
While a win over a former ONE World Title challenger like Zhang could make him deserving of a shot at reigning strawweight kickboxing kingpin Prajanchai PK Saenchai, the Thai thinks he’ll have to win at least one more time to earn it.
And no matter his age, Sam-A insists there’s still plenty of fight left in him:
“I want to get back to being a ONE World Champion before I retire. However, I think winning this fight is too early for me to have a shot at gold.
“Everyone is doubting how long an old dog like me can stay in this game, but winning this kickboxing match will boost my confidence and prove that I can still fight.”
Sam-A Gaiyangahdao’s aspirations of reclaiming the World Title are great in theory, but he’ll first have to get past the dangerously talented Zhang Peimian.
Twenty years his junior, “Fighting Rooster” is feared for his ferocious, high-volume attack and endless combination striking.
Sam-A is well aware of the serious threat he will face at ONE 169:
“This fight should be a challenge because he’s younger than me and he’s a tough fighter. This fight is a test of my body.”
The longtime star might not be able to match his foe’s raw physicality and youthful energy, but he can lean on his veteran savvy and masterful technique against the hard-hitting Chinese prodigy.
Sam-A explained:
“I discovered many weaknesses in him, such as when he punches, he leaves windows open. My main advantage in this fight is probably my experience. I’ve fought many different styles of fighters, and he’s not new.”
In the end, the former titleholder expects his clash with Zhang to be a battle of aggression and fight-IQ – and he plans to come out on top.
Given his illustrious career and decades of experience against the planet’s top strikers, it’s no surprise that Sam-A is full of self-belief:
“This fight should be fun because I will definitely give it my all. Let’s see who will attack more between me and him, or what game plans we will have. I’m confident, 100 percent.”