“The knockout would have been there" - Aliff says illness prevented him from finishing Elmehdi El Jamari

Rising star Aliff Sor Dechapan admits he wasn't satisfied by his dominant unanimous decision victory over Elmehdi El Jamari at ONE Fight Night 32 last June 6. After all, the 21-year-old dynamo prides himself on being a finisher and rues the fact that he went the distance against his Moroccan foe.

In his post-event interview posted on Astro Arena's Instagram page, Aliff revealed he felt ill during fight week and was not feeling 100 percent when he crossed swords with El Jamari.

According to the Sor Dechapan athlete, that was the only reason he didn't get the knockout and perhaps another $50,000 performance bonus.

"If I wasn’t sick, the knockout would have been there. But what can I do? Still, I’m happy with the win," he said.

To be fair, El Jamari also deserves some credit since he took some hard shots from Aliff like a champ. The Malaysian-Thai phenom's speed, accuracy, and power were all on point despite feeling under the weather.

Aliff punished 'The Sniper's body over and over again with missile-like kicks, leaving visible bruises on his mid-section after three rounds.

Moreover, Aliff proved his toughness and ability to adapt since he was still able to put on an impressive performance despite being physically compromised.

The full replay of ONE Fight Night 32 is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in North America

Aliff vows to give it his all in possible title shot vs double champ Prajanchai

By the looks of it, Aliff secured his spot as the next challenger for Prajanchai PK Saenchai's strawweight Muay Thai crown.

The pair figured in a face-to-face shortly after Aliff dismantled El Jamari, much to the delight of the Lumpinee Stadium crowd.

While Aliff is on the best stretch of his career, winning his last four fights decisively, he acknowledged that the two-sport king is a whole different monster. He said in the same interview:

"To fight Prajanchai, I will have to train ten times harder. It won't be easy."