“I could see his weapons” - Sam-A says he got Zhang Peimian all figured out after cautious approach in round one
Thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao had Zhang Peimian all figured out after the opening round.
Returning to the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand for a high-stakes showdown at ONE 169, Sam-A went toe-to-toe with the 'Fighting Rooster' in just his second career kickboxing bout under the ONE Championship banner.
Despite being 20 years older than his opponent, Sam-A looked nothing short of spectacular against Peimian during the promotion's latest offering on Amazon Prime Video. Following an opening round that saw Sam-A size up and get a few reads on Peimian, the former two-sport ONE world champion unleashed his weapons and scored himself a decisive unanimous decision victory.
Speaking with the promotion following his 375th career win, Sam-A broke down his game plan against Peimian, saying:
“In the first round, Zhang Peimian ran towards me as expected. In the beginning, I focused on defense and saw what kind of attack he would use. After the first round, I felt that I could fight because I could see his weapons.”
Sam-A eyes trilogy fight with two-sport king Prajanchai
Though Sam-A looked damn good in his sophomore kickboxing bout at ONE 169, the Thai fan favorite still has his sights set on reclaiming the coveted ONE strawweight Muay Thai world championship.
"What I want next is I want to get back on my throne. I want to get back there again to prove myself and I want to do this for myself."
Interestingly, both the ONE strawweight kickboxing and Muay Thai world titles—belts Sam-A previously held throughout his career—reside with Prajanchai PK Saenchai.
Prajanchai unified his interim title with the undisputed strap via an 88-second knockout against Joseph Lasiri at ONE Friday Fights 46 last year. Six months later, he defeated Jonathan Di Bella to bring the strawweight kickboxing crown home, making him a two-sport champion on martial arts' biggest global stage.
Sam-A and Prajanchai have already met twice under the ONE banner, but after Sam-A's impressive showing at ONE 169, is it time we see them complete the trilogy?
If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.