“I can still keep fighting” - Thai legend Sam-A says victory over Zhang Peimian proof that he can stay at the top for a long time
Thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao already has a lot of mileage under him but continues to compete at a high level. He showcased it once again when he dominated Chinese phenom Zhang Peimian in their recent match in Thailand.
The 41-year-old Evolve MMA fighter beat 'Fighting Rooster' by unanimous decision in their strawweight kickboxing clash at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Nov. 8 at Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium. Sam-A pummeled Zhang with telling hits throughout their three-round battle en route to the convincing victory.
In an interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Sam-A highlighted how his most recent winning performance was indicative of the caliber he still has at this late stage of his illustrious career.
He said:
"The V definitely means a lot to me. Because I can prove to everyone that I can still be in the game at my age. And I can still keep fighting for a long period."
The win at ONE 169 was the second straight for Sam-A, and ninth in 12 matches in ONE Championship since making his promotional debut in January 2018.
The full replay of ONE 169 is available on demand to Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Sam-A highlights durability of Zhang Peimian in recent showdown
Sam-A Gaiyanghadao was gunning for a KO finish against Zhang Peimian in their showdown at ONE 169 on Nov. 8 but admitted that the durability the Chinese fighter showed in three rounds made his goal difficult to execute.
He shared this in the same interview with Sportskeeda MMA, highlighting how Zhang proved himself as tough as tough could get. He said:
"I said I would knock him out if I had the chance. And there were moments in that fight where he fell victim to my combinations. And I thought I could knock him out. But his body recovered too quickly that I couldn't finish him on time."
Sam-A is looking to build on his win at ONE 169 and earn one last shot at the ONE strawweight kickboxing world title he once held.