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Sam-A admitted he was "impressed" with himself during his last ONE Championship appearance.
At 41 years old, Sam-A has solidified his legacy as a well-respected and beloved striker in Muay Thai and kickboxing. Yet, he's not done building his resume.
The Thai striker turned back the clock in 2024, securing wins against Akram Hamidi (Muay Thai) and Zhang Peimian (kickboxing).
During an interview with ONE, the strawweight legend had this to say about his recent success, specifically against Peimian:
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"In my last fight with Zhang Peimian, I was impressed with myself because I had about a month to prepare for this kickboxing fight. I was satisfied that I was able to fight as planned. But It wasn't 100 percent."
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Sam-A's legendary fighting career features many accomplishments, including Muay Thai titles in Lumpinee Stadium, Professional Boxing Association of Thailand, WBC, and ONE Championship.
The 41-year-old now looks to add more gold to his resume during the promotion's most stacked event of the calendar year.
Watch Sam-A's first-round knockout win against Akram Hamidi below:
Sam-A plans to continue magical run by winning interim gold at ONE 172
Sam-A's success in 2024 has led to an opportunity to capture ONE gold again.
On Sunday, March 23, the Thai striker will clash with former strawweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Di Bella for the division's interim title.
Di Bella lost the strawweight kickboxing throne due to a unanimous decision loss against two-sport king Prajanchai in June 2024.
The Canadian-Italian striker has since bounced back with a unanimous decision win against Rui Botelho, setting up the interim title bout with Sam-A.
Sam-A and Di Bella have equal interest in a rematch against Prajanchai.
Di Bella holds the previously mentioned Muay Thai loss against the strawweight kickboxing king, while Sam-A suffered two defeats against him in Muay Thai.
Firstly, the world-class strikers are focused on their upcoming matchup at ONE 172, which goes down inside the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
Sunday's event features four other title fights and a must-see main event featuring Takeru Segawa and Rodtang in a non-title flyweight kickboxing bout.
Check out the entire ONE 172 fight card below:
