Sam-A Gaiyanghadao stops Joseph Lasiri in ONE’s first-ever Muay Thai bout

It was history in the making for ONE Championship, as the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, hosted the promotion’s very first Muay Thai bout on Friday, 26 January.

The bout featured a legend of the sport in multi-time Lumpinee World Champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao (364-46-9), as he took on WBC Muay Thai Super Bantamweight World Champion Joseph “The Hurricane” Lasiri (31-5).

Ultimately, the pedigree of Gaiyanghadao was simply too much for his Italian opponent. At ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES, he showed just why he is regarded as one of the greatest of all time with a composed yet clinical second-round stoppage victory.

The action started from the opening bell, as “The Hurricane” looked to press forward and land his strikes. Gaiyanghadao is renowned for his impenetrable defense and powerful counters, and wasted no time in replying with lightning-fast left kicks to legs, body, and head. The power and timing of the Thai athlete saw Lasiri tumbling to the mat with push-kicks, round kicks, and sweeps. However, the Italian courageously pressed forward.

As the second round got underway, it was clear Gaiyanghadao was going to dial up the intensity even further. “The Hurricane” tried to rush in, but he was met with evasions and counters at every turn.

A left high kick sent Lasiri down for his first count, then a laser-guided straight left punch. He was eager to carry on, but was a little too eager as the Lumpinee Stadium legend connected with another picture-perfect left hand on his chin, for the third and final knockdown at 2:30 of the second round, which automatically handed him the win.

Gaiyanghadao was pleased with his performance, and the opportunity to showcase his talent inside the ONE cage. Also, he would not rule out a match under a complete martial arts rule set in the future as, he continues to train in all aspects of martial arts at Evolve MMA. 

Lasiri was brave, but outgunned. The Italian has to be respected for stepping up to face a legend, but he simply came up short on the night.