The Thai striker looked dynamic en route to the win at ONE Fight Night 32 on Saturday, 7th June, but he revealed he had to endure some less-than-ideal circumstances in the lead-up.
Aliff entered fight week feeling unwell, which forced him to adjust his game plan against the Moroccan standout. Rather than hunt for a finish, the rising contender chose to focus on going the distance.
“I was happy to get the win because I fell sick during fight week. And I had to alter my strategy to win by points. My plan was to knock him out, but because I wasn’t feeling at my best, my team provided me with the plan to beat him by points,” Aliff explained.
“I was happy to get the win. Not the result I wanted, but the win I needed.”
Despite the challenging circumstances, Aliff’s tactical approach proved successful, as he controlled the majority of the contest to earn the nod from all three judges.
With his latest performance in the rear-view mirror, Aliff now has the opportunity of a lifetime awaiting him: a challenge of two-division titleholder Prajanchai PK Saenchai’s ONE strawweight Muay Thai world championship.
After having his hand raised at ONE Fight Night 32, Aliff got to share the ring with the legendary Thai, and the experience left a lasting impression on him.
“He’s such an experienced fighter and one of the best champions out there. He’s been up there even before I started fighting. So it was a special moment for me. I never thought I’d be able to share that moment in the ring with such a good fighter,” Aliff said.
Despite holding admiration for Prajanchai, the young striker didn’t hold back in expressing his ambitions to oust the divisional king directly to his face.
“I told [Prajanchai], ‘That’s a really nice belt, and I really want to try and get it from you one day.’ He responded with just a few words: ‘It won’t be easy.’ That’s it,” Aliff revealed.
