Samingdam promises “fierce” fight against Sonrak at ONE Friday Fights 119

Thai power puncher Samingdam NF Looksuan refuses to overthink his approach against Sonrak Fairtex. The 23-year-old striker plans to unleash immediate pressure and force a wild exchange from the opening bell.

Samingdam faces Sonrak in the main event of ONE Friday Fights 119 on Friday, August 8, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. The Thai striker rides a two-fight winning streak while hunting the $100,000 contract that comes with main roster promotion.

His path to victory centers on exploiting what he sees as glaring defensive weaknesses in the Myanmar fighter’s game. Samingdam believes Sonrak’s aggressive offense creates counter-punching opportunities that could end the fight early.

The Thai striker respects his opponent’s southpaw power but questions his ability to absorb clean shots. Sonrak’s knockout losses provide a blueprint for Samingdam’s aggressive game plan.

Recent momentum gives Samingdam confidence in his finishing ability. His third-round knockout of Amir Naseri at ONE Friday Fights 110 reminded him why forward pressure works against defensive fighters.

That victory required a mindset shift after struggling through two rounds of hesitation. His coach’s corner advice to fight with nothing to lose sparked the knockout sequence that restored his aggressive identity.

“Sonrak is a southpaw with a real Thai fighter style. His strengths are his non-stop left punches and left kicks. But I think his defense isn’t great because he still gets hit pretty often,” Samingdam said.

“It’s true that Sonrak’s body has gotten tougher recently, but for a fighter who’s been knocked out before, I believe that if he gets hit clean again, there’s a good chance he’ll go down. And I believe if he gets hit by my weapons, he’ll definitely go down.”

Samingdam reclaims aggressive style

The Amir Naseri victory provided more than just momentum for Samingdam NF Looksuan. His performance bonus allowed him to help his family pay off debts while restoring confidence in his natural fighting style.

Early struggles in that bout taught valuable lessons about overthinking game plans. When pressure and worry replaced instinct, Samingdam found himself losing rounds against a veteran opponent.

His coach’s corner advice to abandon caution and fight aggressively sparked the knockout finish that changed everything.

“In the last fight with Amir, I actually planned to go forward and fight aggressively. But in the first two rounds, I put too much pressure on myself and was too worried about his weapons,” he said.

“My plan went out the window, and I was getting outfought. It wasn’t until the final round when my coach [Abbas Looksuan] got my head back in the game and told me to just go out there and fight like I had nothing to lose.”