Family pride is at stake as Moroccan knockout specialist Elmehdi “The Sniper” El Jamari faces Thai-Malaysian fighter Aliff Sor Dechapan in a highly anticipated strawweight Muay Thai match at ONE Fight Night 32: Nakrob vs. Jaosuayai. This exciting event is scheduled for U.S. primetime on Friday, June 6, taking place at the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
The winner of this matchup stands to make a compelling case for a title shot against the current strawweight champion, Prajanchai PK Saenchai. However, El Jamari has additional motivation for this fight. He seeks to avenge his older brother, Zakaria El Jamari, who suffered a surprising knockout defeat to Aliff last August at ONE Fight Night 24.
Having witnessed his brother's loss firsthand, Elmehdi is determined to turn the tables in this upcoming bout. He expressed his eagerness with a statement to onefc.com, declaring, “I cannot wait for the fight. I cannot wait to enter the ring. It will be vengeance that rises to the level of our expectations.”
El Jamari emphasizes that he has learned valuable lessons from Zakaria's fight against Aliff. He is confident they have pinpointed the mistakes made and discovered ways to exploit Aliff's weaknesses. “Zakaria explained what happened during the fight. He doesn’t want me to commit the same mistakes he did. He told me Aliff is a good fighter, but he is not a great fighter. I think Zakaria’s biggest mistake was he put his hands down,” El Mehdi shared.
Elmehdi comes into this fight with significant experience, having established himself as one of the Middle East's top rising stars in recent years. During his explosive promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 30, he delivered a stunning first-round knockout against Thai fan favorite Thongpoon PK Saenchai, positioning himself as a legitimate title contender. He anticipates another electrifying performance on June 6, saying, “It will be war. And the war will not go into the third round. I will finish him via knockout.”
El Jamari acknowledges the skill of Aliff Sor Dechapan, who is known for his aggressive fighting style and comes into the match riding a three-fight winning streak. Despite this, Elmehdi has developed a strategic game plan aimed at countering Aliff's long-range striking capabilities. He aims to avoid the head strikes and knee attacks that Aliff typically relies on while exploiting the openings in his striking style.
“Aliff is an intelligent fighter. He relies on strikes to the head and knee strikes. I will try to avoid his kicks. That said, he is not particularly good in fighting in close distances and depends heavily on long-distance strikes,” El Jamari explained.
Although Elmehdi will face a height and reach disadvantage against Aliff, he is prepared to draw on his extensive experience with taller opponents. With over 120 amateur fights and 28 professional bouts, he is well-acquainted with adapting his strategy to manage such challenges. He stated, “I fought a tall fighter who is similar to Aliff in WBC. I think he was even taller than him, if I’m not mistaken. I have a history of facing fighters that are much taller than I am. When I face a taller opponent, I may make slight changes to my game plan, especially to my timing, but I wouldn’t say that I make major changes.”
ONE Fight Night 32 promises to deliver thrilling, high-stakes action as Elmehdi El Jamari seeks vengeance for his brother and aims to establish himself as a top contender in the strawweight division. With both fighters having much to prove, fans can expect an electrifying showdown in Bangkok on June 6.
