A pair of former ONE strawweight muay Thai world champions will collide once again this Friday, June 23.
ONE Friday Fights 22 may be headlined by the ONE heavyweight world title unification bout between divisional king Arjan Bhullar and interim titleholder Anatoly Malykhin, but all eyes will be on the much-anticipated rematch between Sam-A Gaiyanghadao and Prajanchai PK.Saenchai for the ONE interim strawweight muay Thai world title when it goes down later in the evening.
Sam-A is seeking redemption against his Thai compatriot, who snatched the strawweight muay Thai crown off him in their first meeting in 2021, and Prajanchai will be looking to score a second win over the living striking legend to book a showdown with divisional king Joseph Lasiri after he returns from injury.
Both men know how to get the job done when it comes to a ONE world title win, and here’s a breakdown of the key elements each will be relying on in their rematch.
1. Sam-A’s lightning left kick
To reverse his fortune this Friday, Sam-A’s legendary kicking game will likely be essential.
Across his storied career, the former two-division king’s left kick from a southpaw stance has caused nightmares for his opponents. None more so than current strawweight muay Thai titleholder Lasiri, who endured a relentless barrage in their 2018 encounter before succumbing to a second-round TKO.
If the veteran of more than 400 professional fights can use his teep to control the tempo of the fight and get his left kick cracking, it will be a long night for Prajanchai.
2. Prajanchai’s precise footwork
Prajanchai possesses smooth footwork, which is somewhat uncommon among muay Thai athletes.
The 28-year-old used this fleet-footed approach to make Sam-A repeatedly miss his target in their first fight. He then closed the distance at speed to land counter strikes.
His ability to remain elusive and control range with his footwork will be important when he rematches his countryman.
If he can repeat the same tactics as their first meeting this time, he could comfortably make it 2-0 against Sam-A.
3. Sam-A’s left counters
Sam-A has a counter punching game of his own that he’ll be looking to impose on Prajanchai.
The 39-year-old used this weapon to great effect in his masterful demolition of Australia’s Josh Tonna in 2020. He punished “Timebomb” with piston-like straight lefts on his way to scoring three knockdowns and a second-round TKO.
Sam-A saw some success with the same punch against Prajanchai, and it was also the last thing that Lasiri saw before their bout was halted.
If he can find a home for his left hand this Friday night, the Evolve MMA standout could effectively stifle the punching combinations of Prajanchai and initiate a kicking battle that would put the ball in his court.
4. Prajanchai’s hand speed
Prajanchai spent time training with the Thai Olympic boxing team back in 2018, and it shows in his muay Thai game today.
The PK.Saenchai Gym representative’s elusiveness and lightning-fast hands made the difference against Sam-A last time and will likely be just as important in the rematch.
Prajanchai’s speed advantage was on full display between the pair, as he scored a first-round knockdown with a lightning-fast right off a caught kick en route to the unanimous decision win.
As was seen in that fight, speed alone is enough to send Sam-A to the canvas in four-ounce gloves, so Prajanchai would be wise to rely on a similar weapon on Friday night.
