ONE strawweight Muay Thai standout Aliff Sor Dechapan brings a mindset that many young fighters can take inspiration from in their respective journeys to becoming the next big name in combat sports.
Speaking with the world's largest martial arts promotion, the 20-year-old acknowledged how much he needs to improve before hoping to fight for a ONE world championship, saying:
"I need 1-2 more years to prove myself and reach my ultimate goal, which is to become the ONE strawweight Muay Thai world champion."
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Viewed by many ONE fans as a future superstar in the 'Art of Eight Limbs', Aliff flaunted the depth of his striking arsenal and rapidly improving fight IQ when he fought Walter Goncalves at ONE 169 this past Friday, Nov. 8, inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
For every strike that the former ONE flyweight Muay Thai world championship challenger threw, Aliff was prepared to fire back two or three hits in quick succession. He ultimately secured the win via unanimous decision.
The Thai-Malaysian now owns six victories in ONE with four thrilling finishes.
Aliff was wary of Walter Goncalves' awesome power entering ONE 169
One reason why Aliff fought at a slower, more methodical pace against Walter Goncalve is because of his great respect for the Brazilian's punching power.
In an interview with ONE before ONE 169, the Sor Dechapan product explained:
"I don't think [him moving down in weight] matters because I don't see him as having a great size. He's probably in the right shape to fight in the 135 or 125 divisions, similar to Zakaria El Jamari. But he probably has more impact force than me."
Fans in the United States and Canada with an active Prime Video subscription can rewatch ONE 169 on demand.