"His body recovered too quickly" - Sam-A credits Zhang Peimian's durability for going the distance at ONE 169

Thai striking legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao never shies away from giving credit where it is due. ONE strawweight kickboxing mainstay Zhang Peimian is the latest fighter to receive his praises.

Speaking exclusively with Sportskeeda MMA, the former ONE strawweight kickboxing world champion acknowledged Zhang's incredible durability following their three-round war at ONE 169 on Nov. 8:

"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."

The Thai hero and 'Fighting Rooster' had one of the most exciting fights of ONE 169 as they flaunted their respective mastery of the striking arts.

Zhang initiated most of the early exchanges, hoping to catch Sam-A off guard and land the knockout blow to earn the biggest victory of his young career.

While the strategy gave Zhang a lot of momentum and confidence, Sam-A took them both from him in the second and third rounds by landing his combos at will. The Evolve MMA star ultimately won via unanimous decision.

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Sam-A explains slow start against Zhang at ONE 169

Sam-A surprised many fans by electing to let Zhang take control of the first round, but the 41-year-old had a very good reason for doing so.

Speaking with the world's largest martial arts promotion in the aftermath of ONE 169, the seasoned veteran explained:

"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."