"Skill and experience helped me a lot" - Sam-A lists his keys to victory in dominant win over Zhang Peimian at ONE 169

Former two-division, two-sport ONE world champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao has got more career-defining wins than most because the veteran continues to set new bars for himself.

At 41 years old, it wouldn't be surprising if he struggled to compete with the rising contenders in his weight class but the elite Thai competitor is going nowhere.

After producing a stunning knockout against Akram Hamidi in September at ONE Friday Fights 81, he looked to continue yet another resurgence at ONE 169.

On Nov. 8, the striking icon put on a clinic to defeat Zhang Peimian via a unanimous decision at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

His performance was a master class of striking from the back foot as he was able to keep his opponent right where he wanted him despite the constant pressure from Zhang.

Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda MMA, Sam-A spoke about the keys to his victory in this fight and how he was able to dominate the contest.

In his opinion, this performance was an accumulation of his years at the highest level and the improvements he has been able to make along the way:

"Skill and experience helped me a lot in this fight. It helped me in terms of applying the game and reading my opponent's weapons."

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Sam-A has one goal in mind right now

The last two performances that Sam-A has produced under the ONE Championship banner have been nothing short of spectacular.

What makes them even more impressive is that prior to this, he suffered a devastating knockout loss to Prajanchai PK Saenchai in June of 2023.

Having been defeated by his fellow elite Thai striker twice in recent years, getting his revenge is a big source of motivation for Sam-A.

With Prajanchai currently holding both the Muay Thai and kickboxing titles in the strawweight division, a trilogy fight between them will be a huge moment for the weight class.