MMA
Sam-A Gaiyanghadao credits wife for saving his comeback: 'She gave me so much encouragement'
Published
2 months agoon
Two years ago, online critics wrote off Sam-A Gaiyanghadao. Now the Thai legend is one win from World Title gold.
Sam-A Gaiyanghadao challenges Aliff Sor Dechapan for the ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Title in the main event of The Inner Circle 23 on Friday, July 24, streaming live from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
At 42, the former two-sport, two-division ONE World Champion insists age has sharpened rather than dulled his fighting style. More than three decades and 400 professional bouts into his career, he says the calmer version of himself only found this level of aggression recently.
“I think my fighting style has changed in my forties. I have become more aggressive and stronger,†he said.
“It feels as though I am no longer afraid of my opponent's strikes. If I get hit, I get hit. If we have to trade, then we trade. That is simply how I fight now.â€
Sam-A Gaiyanghadao found calm amid criticism
Sam-A Gaiyanghadao has weathered two years of online criticism about his age. Commenters have suggested his best days are behind him and predicted younger opponents would knock him out, with the noise intensifying after a knockout loss to reigning champion Prajanchai PongSuphan PK left him questioning his future.
His wife, Tangmo, urged him to rest and trust his body, giving him the space to recover before committing to another title run.
“After that loss, a small thought crossed my mind. Maybe my body just couldn't take it anymore. I talked to my wife about it, but she gave me so much encouragement.â€
Since returning, Sam-A has answered every doubter with wins over Zhang Peimian, Jaosuayai Mor Krungthepthonburi, and Elmehdi El Jamari.
“By now, I have proven that age does not affect my ability to fight. Fight after fight, I have shown everyone that I can still compete in ONE Championship, continue moving forward, and challenge for a World Title.â€
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MMA
Video: All 7 UFC 331 finishes from a wild night in Los Angeles
Published
16 minutes agoon
September 21, 2026
MMA
UFC 334 odds: Ciryl Gane, Kayla Harrison favored in title fights
Published
1 hour agoon
September 21, 2026
334's lineup has been revealed, as have the opening odds.
In the main event, Ciryl Gane
is set to defend the
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title against
Josh
Hokit on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The
card is co-headlined by a bantamweight title fight between Kayla
Harrison and Amanda
Nunes.
BetOnline has released its current odds for
both championship bouts, with Gane favored over Hokit and Harrison
favored over Nunes.
UFC 334 betting lines move for Gane-Hokit and
Harrison-Nunes
Gane opened at -150 and is now at -235. The Frenchman is favored to
beat the undefeated Hokit, who is currently listed at +195. Both
fighters secured finishes at
UFC Freedom 250 in their last outings. Gane was promoted to
undisputed champ after Tom
Aspinall vacated the belt.
The Harrison-Nunes line was originally released in November 2025
after they were announced for
UFC 324, with Harrison opening at -155 and Nunes at +135. The
fight fell through after Harrison sustained a neck injury and
they're finally set to collide in November.
The current women's 135-pound champ is now at -210, while the Hall
of Famer has dropped to +175.
MMA
Arman Tsarukyan crushes Mauricio Ruffy, strengthens UFC title-shot case
Published
3 hours agoon
September 21, 2026
Tsarukyan cemented his status as the No.1 contender at
lightweight in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship with a first-round knockout
win.
Tsarukyan knocked out Mauricio
Ruffy with back-to-back elbows in the dying seconds of the
opening round in UFC
331's co-main event at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, further
strengthening his case for a title shot.
Tsarukyan finishes Ruffy with back-to-back elbows in the UFC
331 co-main event
Tsarukyan admitted the opening minutes of the bout were challenging
after Ruffy connected with some clean strikes, but he remained
confident that he would eventually find a finish.
“I feel great,†Tsarukyan said in a post-fight interview. “I was
looking for a finish and even the first round was kind of rough,
but I knew, like, I'm going to finish him. First punches, it's
always hard to defend because both of us, we're fresh. But Ruffy is
one of the best strikers, you know, we shouldn't forget about
that.â€
“The Batman†had swelling around his eye courtesy of a punch from
Ruffy, but managed to mix his martial arts and find the finish.
“I'm such a well-rounded fighter,†Tsarukyan added. “I know, like,
with wrestling, only wrestling, you cannot win the fights. You've
got to mix it up. I made the best statement that I could do
today.â€
“I made the best statement I could
today.”Arman
Tsarukyan (@ArmanUFC) let his
performance speak for itself tonight at #CryptoCom
#UFC331Complete Main Card Results âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/6GSVkvH0f4
Official Scorecards: https://t.co/2L2Ig3cENB pic.twitter.com/BygFCtUWWd
— UFC News (@UFCNews)
September 20, 2026
Video: All 7 UFC 331 finishes from a wild night in Los Angeles
UFC 334 odds: Ciryl Gane, Kayla Harrison favored in title fights
Arman Tsarukyan crushes Mauricio Ruffy, strengthens UFC title-shot case
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