Zhang Peimian "relieved" to turn back the clock in impressive victory vs Aliff Sor Dechapan

Results haven't always gone the way of Zhang Peimian in recent times in ONE Championship.

The Chinese striker is undeniably a serious talent and a top contender in the strawweight kickboxing division but it hasn't fallen into place for him as of late.

After securing a bounce-back win following his close inaugural title fight with Jonathan Di Bella, Zhang Peimian found himself on the wrong side of a split decision. Many felt that he did enough to defeat Rui Botelho at ONE Fight Night 16 but the judges didn't rule the fight in his favor.

At ONE Friday Fights 58, he faced another tough test in the form of Aliff Sor Dechapan who would be making the jump into kickboxing.

After getting his hand raised, Peimian told Nick Atkin for Sportskeeda that getting the win at all costs was priority number one for him on fight night:

"I know that the majority of the fans, whether it's the foreign fans or the Chinese fans, think it was a tough fight for him. Some even thought I would lose this fight. So I feel relieved with the win. But I also just wanted to remind everyone that I will do everything for the win."

Watch the full interview below:

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Zhang Peimian has had no easy fights in ONE Championship

Considering his controversial loss to Botelho last November, Zhang Peimian could be forgiven for wanting a fight to get back on track. No such lay-up was offered to him in his return to Lumpinee Stadium this past weekend as he faced a striker who was full of confidence.

Aliff Sor Dechapan had built an impressive win streak on the ONE Friday Fights series and crossing over into kickboxing with a win over Peimian would have seen him shoot up the ladder.

'Fighting Rooster' held his ground and got the win to solidify his status in the division as a top contender that is still in the mix.

The win could go down as one of the most significant results in his young career at just 20 years old.