Sam-A Gaiyanghadao isn’t ready to hang up the gloves just yet. The 42-year-old legend kept his ONE World Title dreams alive with a hard-fought unanimous decision over Jaosuayai Mor Krungthepthonburi at ONE Friday Fights 137, and now he’s setting his sights on one last championship run.
Fighting at Lumpinee Stadium — the venue where he captured nine Muay Thai titles and cemented his legacy — Sam-A showed he’s still got plenty left in the tank.
The former two-sport, two-division ONE world champion dropped Jaosuayai twice in round two and weathered some dangerous moments to secure the win, improving his career record to 377-50-9.
“I want to get a title shot because at this age, if I could get one shot at the title, it would be something great, no matter who the champion is,” Sam-A said after the fight.
The Thai veteran has two names on his mind: Jonathan Di Bella for the kickboxing title, or a trilogy bout with Prajanchai PK Saenchai for the Muay Thai crown. Either fight would give Sam-A a chance to add to his already stacked resume in the twilight of his career.
But first, he had to get past Jaosuayai — a 24-year-old knockout artist who’d been wrecking opponents at 135 pounds. Sam-A knew the danger going in.
“He’s very good in the 135-pound division, knocking people out easily. I was concerned about this because his hands are very good. But when he dropped down to this weight class, he might be tired, he might be drained, and he might not be used to this weight yet,” Sam-A explained.
The weight cut theory proved accurate. Sam-A caught Jaosuayai with a devastating left hook in round two that sent him crashing to the canvas. Even with the knockdown, Sam-A stayed cautious.
“At that moment, he threw a hook, and I pulled back and threw a left hook in. Even after getting the first count, I still couldn’t underestimate him because he’s already a good puncher. I had to stay tight and be careful throughout. [It] was painful because his punches are very fast and very heavy.”
Jaosuayai rallied and wobbled Sam-A moments later, but the veteran answered with a highlight-reel uppercut that put the young gun down for a second time. From there, Sam-A’s experience took over, and he closed out the decision with sharp elbows and crafty counters in the final frame.
Now, with the victory secured at Lumpinee — a place where he’s carved out an unmatched legacy — Sam-A is focused on what comes next. He’s even got predictions for the upcoming ONE strawweight Muay Thai title fight between Prajanchai and Aliff Sor Dechapan.
“In this matchup, Aliff is a tall fighter who’s difficult to fight. Prajanchai is crafty. This will be an exciting fight. I think it will go the distance with their styles,” he said.
“I favor Prajanchai because of his angles and craftiness. If he can get close and clinch, I think he wins 60-40 with his in-fight adjustments, craftiness, and experience because Prajanchai has fought taller opponents and opponents his same height.”
Whether it’s Di Bella or Prajanchai waiting on the other side, Sam-A has made it clear: he’s not done yet. And after what he showed at Lumpinee on Friday night, it’s hard to count him out.
