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Sam-A Gaiyanghadao knows he's not as young as he used to be, and he expects his next matchup will be a true test of his battle-hardened physique.
The Thai legend will take on Chinese phenom Zhang Peimian in a strawweight kickboxing contest at the stacked ONE 169 card on Nov. 8, US primetime, at the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
In an interview with ONE Championship, Sam-A acknowledged Zhang's hard-hitting style ahead of their showdown.
The former two-sport ONE world champion added Zhang could be a difficult matchup who could present multiple challenges once they square off.
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Sam-A said:
"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.”
Sam-A is considered one of the greatest strikers of all time, having won multiple Lumpinee Stadium world titles before he arrived at ONE Championship in 2018.
He then captured the inaugural ONE flyweight Muay Thai, strawweight kickboxing, and strawweight Muay Thai world titles from 2018 to 2020.
Although he's relinquished those three world titles, Sam-A remains one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet.
The 41-year-old is coming off a sublime first-round knockout finish of French star Akram Hamidi at ONE Friday Fights in September this year.
ONE 169 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Sam-A Gaiyanghadao says his family pushes him to hunt one last run at ONE Championship gold
Sam-A Gaiyanghadao has proven everything in his career, yet the Muay Thai and kickboxing icon is still determined to embark on one last world title run in ONE Championship.
In an interview with the promotion, Sam-A said he still wants to pursue another world title challenge to show his family that he still has what it takes to climb to the top of the combat sports world.
"I will keep fighting until my body can't take it anymore. 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."
He added:
"The second source is from my wife because she always motivates and pushes me. She says she will always be by my side."
