A high-stakes strawweight kickboxing clash featuring the division’s first-ever titleholder is heading to ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug.
On November 8 in U.S. primetime, Chinese phenom “Fighting Rooster” Zhang Peimian will square off with former two-division, two-sport ONE World Champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao at Bangkok’s historic Lumpinee Stadium.
Still just 20 years old, Zhang is one of the planet’s most talented young strikers.
After reeling off a pair of dominant victories to begin his ONE tenure, he suffered a hard-fought decision loss to Jonathan Di Bella in his bid for the vacant ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title at ONE 162.
Since then, “Fighting Rooster” has gone 2-1 in the division to solidify himself as a top contender, all while showcasing his fast-paced, crowd-pleasing brand of combat.
In his most recent outing, Zhang snapped the winning streak of fellow young prodigy Aliff Sor Dechapan, and he’ll look to keep that momentum going as he seeks another shot at the gold.
Sam-A, though, has other plans.
A decorated veteran of the striking arts, the Thai legend previously held the ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title in addition to the ONE Strawweight and Flyweight Muay Thai World Titles.
After a brief break from competition that saw him vacate his kickboxing belt, Sam-A returned to the world’s largest martial arts organization in 2023, knocking out Irish sensation Ryan Sheehan to prove he still belongs among the best of the best.
He subsequently came up short against Thai megastar Prajanchai PK Saenchai in an unsuccessful bid for the ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Title. However, he bounced back with a spectacular first-round knockout of Akram Hamidi this past September.
At 40 years old with more than 400 fights on his resume, Sam-A is nearing the end of his epic career. Nonetheless, he still looks as dangerous as ever, and a win over Zhang could earn him a rematch with Prajanchai, who currently holds the undisputed strawweight kickboxing belt.
Stylistically, fans can look forward to an intriguing striking battle.
In one corner, “Fighting Rooster” is a prodigious athlete who uses his high-volume attack to drown his opponents with combinations and never-ending offense.
The Thai, meanwhile, is a true master of technique, equally capable of fighting on his front foot as he is on the counter – and has always shown a knack for finding the knockout.
Check onefc.com for all the news and announcements about ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on November 8.
