Sam-A Silences Doubters To Keep Championship Dreams Alive At 42 Years Old

Retirement whispers threatened to become deafening roars if Sam-A Gaiyanghadao lost to rising star Jaosuayai Mor Krungthepthonburi at ONE Friday Fights 137: Tawanchai vs. Liu on December 19 inside Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium.

The 42-year-old Thai icon understood the stakes perfectly — victory keeps his world title dreams alive, defeat ends them permanently. Facing a 24-year-old flyweight knockout artist making his strawweight debut with speed and power on his side, the odds weren’t necessarily favoring the former two-sport, two-division ONE World Champion.

Yet after surviving early adversity and dropping his younger compatriot twice in the second round, Sam-A secured a hard-fought unanimous decision, improving his career record to 377-50 while proving age remains nothing but a number.

The opening round belonged entirely to the young gun. Jaosuayai brimmed with speed and power, showcasing exactly why he’s considered among the organization’s brightest striking talents while flinging hard punches and thunderous kicks at the legendary Thai striker, often putting him on the back foot.

The Evolve MMA representative remained composed despite the difficult start, trusting decades of experience to identify defensive lapses in his opponent’s aggressive approach. That patience paid off in round two when he caught Jaosuayai with a perfectly timed counter left hook, dropping the phenom for the first knockdown.

“At that moment, he threw a hook, and I pulled back and threw a left hook in,” Sam-A said. “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 demonstrated remarkable resilience, immediately rallying from the knockdown with vengeance. The 24-year-old turned up the heat, backed his countryman to the ropes, and fired massive punches and elbows that seemingly wobbled the Thai icon before even running at Sam-A with a flying knee following separation.

The veteran southpaw hung tough through the onslaught, throwing counter-strikes that found their mark before flooring Jaosuayai with an uppercut-left cross combination for the second knockdown of the stanza. That proved decisive as Sam-A seized control and never relinquished it, utilizing sharp elbows and crafty counters throughout the final round to seal a unanimous decision on all three judges’ scorecards.

Sam-A’s ability to weather the early storm and capitalize on opportunities proved the difference-maker, yet the victory represents more than simply winning another fight. His hard-fought triumph positions him for one final world title run fueled by unfinished business that refuses to fade from memory.

Earlier this year at ONE 172 in Tokyo, Sam-A challenged Jonathan Di Bella for the ONE Interim Strawweight Kickboxing World Title, only to fall short in the five-round battle. Now with Di Bella having unified the strawweight kickboxing crown, Sam-A sees opportunity to rewrite that chapter through a rematch, proving the first encounter didn’t tell the complete story.

Yet kickboxing gold represents only half the equation. Sam-A also dreams of reclaiming the ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title from Prajanchai PK Saenchai, setting up trilogy showdown that would cap his legendary career with one final moment of glory.

“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,” he said.