Former two-division ONE World Champion Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang knows he’s only a couple of significant victories away from getting back into the World Title picture.
If he does, the Myanmar icon hopes to secure a rematch against one of his old foes – Reinier “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder and Vitaly Bigdash.
On 22 July, Bigdash will challenge De Ridder for the ONE Middleweight World Title in the main event of ONE 159. And with a vested interest in the outcome, Aung La N Sang will be watching intently when his rivals clash at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
He told ONE Championship:
“It’s going to be a good fight. They’re both very good competitors, so I’m excited for it, and I’m very familiar with both of them. It’s going to be a good one. It’s an exciting matchup for me and I’m really looking forward to who’s going to win that one.”
It’s certainly been a rough patch of late for Aung La N Sang, who dropped his middleweight and light heavyweight belts to De Ridder in October 2020 and April 2021, respectively.
Then at ONE: FULL CIRCLE this past February, “The Burmese Python” lost his pivotal trilogy battle with Bigdash, allowing the Russian to secure the next ONE Middleweight World Title shot.
Despite the bitter taste of defeat, the 37-year-old mixed martial artist has no hard feelings for his former adversaries, even training with De Ridder at Sanford MMA in Florida earlier this year.
At the same time, “The Burmese Python” would jump at the chance to earn redemption against either man.
He said:
“To me, they could both potentially be my opponent again. So, with all due respect to them, I don’t intend to be their best friend anytime soon. Maybe down the line, if I get to know them more, maybe. But right now, we’re cordial, we’re respectful, and they’re both great athletes.
“I’m friendly towards them and I’m respectful towards them. I’m not best friends with either of them. And given the chance, I’ll fight them again in a heartbeat. I don’t know, but I feel like if I finish the next few middleweights that I fight, I’ll be back in the mix.” (One Championship)
(Photo credits to: ONE FC)