Aliff Sor Dechapan made history at The Inner Circle 23 on Friday 24th July, stopping living legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao in the fifth round to win the ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Title.
The bout took place inside Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium. Aliff became the first-ever Malaysian to win a world title in ONE Championship.
The Fight
Aliff started well, landing a kick and right hand combination early. He followed up with two sharp elbows to take the early advantage.
Sam-A responded in the second round. The veteran used his experience to find a way past Aliff’s reach advantage. A slipped high kick and trademark left kicks shifted the momentum briefly in his favour.
Aliff stayed composed. His footwork and clean counters stopped Sam-A from building combinations. The 22-year-old refused to be drawn into close exchanges.
Sam-A pressed forward in the third, using his left hand behind relentless pressure. Aliff chose to stay on the outside, keeping just beyond the range of his opponent’s jabs and kicks.
The veteran eventually got Aliff in range and found success. Aliff answered with sharp boxing that visibly hurt the 42-year-old icon.
Aliff entered the championship rounds looking fresh and fully in control. A flying knee punctuated his growing dominance as Sam-A’s output began to slow. A spinning back kick underlined his total authority over the contest.
The Finish
Sam-A gave everything in the fifth round. It was not enough.
A right cross dropped the legend. Sam-A beat the count, but Aliff swarmed him immediately. A head kick followed by another right hand put Sam-A down for good.
The referee waved it off at 1:09 of the fifth round. Aliff Sor Dechapan was the new ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion.
What’s Next
The win improved Aliff’s record to 63 wins and 9 losses. He also earned a US$50,000 performance bonus on the night.
After the fight, Aliff came face to face with divisional king Prajanchai PongSuphan PK. A unification bout between the two now appears inevitable.
Fight Record will bring you further updates as the unification clash is confirmed.
Source: ONE Championship
