Sam-A Gaiyanghadao gets his ONE Strawweight World Title shot against Aliff Sor Dechapan at The Inner Circle on July 24

He walked off Elmehdi El Jamari with a head kick in April, took the microphone, and said he was waiting for whoever came out of the Prajanchai vs. Aliff fight. Prajanchai got injured. Now Sam-A Gaiyanghadao gets his shot anyway.

Sam-A faces Aliff Sor Dechapan for the ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Title in the main event of The Inner Circle, streaming live for members at live.onefc.com from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, July 24.

The 42-year-old Evolve MMA representative carries a three-fight winning streak into the contest. He has victories over Zhang Peimian, Jaosuayai Mor Krungthepthonburi, and El Jamari. Moreover, this proved that his southpaw left kick and defensive IQ remain among the sharpest in the division.

Aliff is 22 years old, holds a five-fight winning streak, and arrives as the division’s undisputed top contender. This comes after his unanimous decision over Ramadan Ondash at ONE Fight Night 38 in December. The win earned him the shot in the ring from Chatri Sityodtong himself.

The winner claims the interim belt and a guaranteed unification fight against reigning ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Prajanchai PongSuphan PK once he is medically cleared. For Aliff, the victory would make history: he would become the first Malaysian fighter to hold a ONE World Championship.

What separates these two fighters and what July 24 must decide at The Inner Circle

Sam-A Gaiyanghadao has been in fights like this before. He held the ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Title and the ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title simultaneously. This made him one of a small group of fighters to claim gold in two striking disciplines inside ONE Championship.

His left kick from the southpaw stance has been the defining weapon of a career that spans more than two decades.

Aliff Sor Dechapan brings a different kind of problem. The 22-year-old combines reach, forward pressure, and power combinations in a way that has broken down every opponent he has faced in ONE Championship.

His size advantage over most strawweights creates a physical challenge that technique alone cannot solve. The unification fight sitting on the other side of July 24 belongs to whoever makes the stronger case across three rounds.