‘This Is Now My Era’ — Aliff Has Nothing But Respect For Sam-A, But He’s Coming For Interim Gold
The 22-year-old star plans to write a new chapter for the strawweight Muay Thai division at The Inner Circle 23.
By Chris Mohan
Jul 22, 2026, 00:49 UTC
Aliff Sor Dechapan holds nothing but respect for the man who will stand across the ring from him in the main event of The Inner Circle 23. That, however, will not stop him from fulfilling what he believes is his destiny.
The Thai-Malaysian phenom will face multi-time ONE World Champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao for the ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Title on the Asia primetime card, which broadcasts live from Bangkok’s revered Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, July 24.
Fans can watch the show exclusively on live.onefc.com.
Every battle in the world’s largest martial arts organization has provided the 22-year-old contender with a lesson, each sharpening a different piece of his game on the road to World Title gold.
Now, standing across from a legendary fighter of Sam-A’s stature, the Thai-Malaysian slugger sees an opportunity that goes beyond simply adding another name to his resume. It is a defining moment he has been building toward for years, and one the Sor Dechapan product intends to seize with both hands.
Aliff, who owns a 62-9 career record, shared:
“Every time I enter the ring, I improve as a fighter. In my last fight against Ramadan [Ondash], my strategy was purely focused on winning because my goal is to fight for the World Title.
“Now, getting to fight Sam-A has made me excited. He is so skilled, which gives me extra motivation and drives me to train even harder. Sam-A is great, but this is now my era.”
Indeed, a win over the living legend would represent an entirely new era – not just for Aliff himself, but for the martial arts community back home in Malaysia, a nation eager to celebrate its first-ever ONE World Champion.
The Kuala Lumpur-based athlete has done everything asked of him to earn this spotlight. He enters the contest riding a five-bout winning streak, looking sharper with each passing appearance since making his promotional debut in April 2023.
Not only does the weight of an entire nation’s hopes rest on his shoulders, but so does the fire that has carried him across 11 tough outings in the promotion:
“I’ve received overwhelming support from Malaysian fans because everyone wants to see a Malaysian become a World Champion. But I don’t feel pressured. Instead, it makes me want to capture the title even more.
“I’m curious to see how much my life will change if I succeed, but before getting there, my sole duty is to perform at my absolute best and bring this belt home.”
That mindset makes one thing abundantly clear: Aliff is expecting nothing less than war against the 378-win veteran, who is two decades his senior.
At 42 years old, Sam-A continues to defy Father Time. The former two-sport, two-division ONE World Champion enjoys a three-bout winning streak of his own leading up to this guaranteed barnburner inside “The Madison Square Garden of the East.”
Underestimating him due to his age would be an easy trap to fall into, but it is one that Aliff has no intention of making.
The Thai-Malaysian rising star told onefc.com:
“A lot of people see this as a matchup between youth and experience, but I will never underestimate him. In the past, many fighters lost simply because they assumed his age would hold him back.
“If he weren’t truly exceptional, he wouldn’t still be competing at this level at age 42.”
Aliff Charts His Path To Gold
That same respect for Sam-A Gaiyanghadao’s greatness, however, does not translate into any lack of belief in his own ability to get the job done.
Aliff has done his homework on the veteran’s world-class game. Having weighed up the 42-year-old’s arsenal against his, the Sor Dechapan affiliate has a clear picture of exactly how he expects the fight to play out once the bell rings at The Inner Circle 23.
The 22-year-old continued:
“Sam-A’s ultimate weapon is his left kick. His strengths [are also] his ability to adapt and make adjustments inside the ring. As for me, I’ll make full use of my reach advantage. I don’t consider myself at a disadvantage in terms of age, physical condition, or reach.
“I expect him to come forward and press the action, and I’ll be ready to move forward as well. However, I will choose my moments using my own style, combining aggressive attacks with sharp counterstrikes.”
Should everything go according to plan, Aliff believes he could do the unimaginable and put the Evolve MMA representative to sleep en route to capturing the division’s interim crown.
That kind of statement finish would echo the explosive form that first introduced him to fans worldwide, a stretch that saw him rack up three knockouts across four straight matches at the start of his promotional run.
Above all, it would send reigning ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Prajanchai PongSuphan PK a note on the test awaiting him when he is medically cleared to unify the gold.
Aliff warned:
“I’m 80 to 90 percent confident that I’ll have the opportunity to finish the fight. Previously, I fought more strategically to secure the win. But for this fight, I’m going to unleash the aggressive style that fans saw during my early days in ONE.”
Related Event
Everything else you need to know about ONE Friday Fights 163 & The Inner Circle 23: Sam-A vs. Aliff.
