Exclusive | “Sammon Decker” Reveals How He Got His Legendary Nickname Ahead of Oktagon 79
Swedish MMA and Muay Thai fighter Samuel Bark, known to the combat sports world as “Sammon Decker,” carries a name earned the wisdom of warriors who came before him. This weekend at Oktagon 79, he steps into the cage against Mate Sanikidze with the potential to claim championship gold, but the story of how he got his iconic nickname is just as compelling as the fight ahead.
The Name That Honors the Greatest
Sammon Decker’s moniker wasn’t given to him lightly. It emerged from his time training in Thailand, with coach Sangtiennoi Sor.Rungroj, who was an adversary of Ramon Dekkers. According to the fighter himself, speaking in an exclusive interview with LowKick MMA’s Tim Wheaton, he said:
“So, I moved to Thailand, in Bangkok, you know. And I trained under Sangtiennoi. And he fought Ramon Dekkers like three times. And when I lived there and trained there, when I hit the pads, he was like saying, you know, like Samuel and Ramon and then someone, and then I was like, what?
“I heard him say it, like someone was like… and then he said, are you going to have the same style? You’re going to have the punches, and you look similar to him, and we’re going to fight like him, and we’re going to build that character that’s like him. And don’t smile when you go in the ring and, you know, just yeah, he’s because of my teacher.”
The name is a fusion, Samuel merged with Ramon Decker, the legendary Dutch striker who dominated Muay Thai and kickboxing in the 1980s and 90s. Sammon Decker’s coach saw the potential in his young student. It’s a nickname earned through lineage and expectation, not bravado.
Training with an MMA Legend
Samuel Bark lived and trained with MMA legend Enson Inoue for several months, a partnership that emerged from an act of generosity. He explained:
“So [Sangtiennoi’s]whole gym got destroyed. Enson came there and he paid for a new gym and they got really close and that’s how they started their friendship and so that’s why I went from Sangtiennoi to Enson because they were close and yeah. I lived with him for like three to six months, I think.”
Living in the household of a fighter willing to die in the ring offered some lessons that extend beyond technique. When asked what it was like training with someone of Inoue’s caliber, Bark explained:
“He’s cool. He’s really cool. Also scary. He’s scary. I’m not going to lie. He’s very scary. He’s scary as well. He’s cool. He’s nice.”
Ready for His Moment at Oktagon 79
Mate Sanikidze holds real estate at featherweight in the Oktagon promotion, and a dominant performance this weekend could catapult “Sammon Decker” directly into title contention. The Swedish fighter feels prepared.
Bark outlined a philosophy rooted in his Muay Thai foundation: applying pressure, building power, and letting the fight dictate the specifics. He is looking to make a statement this weekend at Oktagon 79.
