Aung La N Sang Has ‘Everything To Prove’ In Bigdash Trilogy
Two-division ONE World Champion Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang is the most dominant middleweight in ONE Championship history.
However, in order to cement his position at the top, there is one final rivalry he wants to put to bed.
The Myanmar superstar’s next contest will be a trilogy bout against his old foe – and former ONE Middleweight World Champion – Vitaly Bigdash.
So far, the pair have shared the Circle twice and each man has earned a unanimous decision.
Now, with the rubber match confirmed for this year, “The Burmese Python” is motivated to kill off any lingering doubts with a decisive victory.
“I have everything to prove,” the 34-year-old states. “I have to prove that I am the rightful World Champion.”
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The two elite athletes originally met at ONE: QUEST FOR POWER in Jakarta, Indonesia on 14 January 2017.
Aung La N Sang, who kicked off his promotional tenure with four straight victories, stepped up on 10-days’ notice to challenge then-middleweight king, Bigdash.
“The Burmese Python” gave a good account of himself in the 25-minute affair, but the Russian’s grappling and top control impressed the judges enough to give him the unanimous decision nod.
Five months later, they met again at ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION in Aung La N Sang’s hometown of Yangon, Myanmar on 30 June. This time, he had a full camp under his belt – and it showed.
With the local crowd on his side, Aung La N Sang was extra motivated from the moment he entered the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium.
In fact, he nearly finished Bigdash in the opening stanza, but the then-ONE Middleweight World Champion weathered the storm.
Just like in their initial encounter, the Russian came on strong with his grappling in the later stages of the battle. However, “The Burmese Python” picked his shots and continued to damage his adversary with powerful striking.
After five thrilling rounds, Aung La N Sang earned the unanimous decision and captured the gold. In the process, he made history as Myanmar’s first-ever World Champion.
Since then, “The Burmese Python” has gone from strength to strength.
The Yangon hero moved to Florida, USA to train full-time with Sanford MMA (formerly known as Hard Knocks 365), and he showcased his tremendous growth by demolishing every opponent who has stood in his path.
He has had six consecutive finishes against top-flight competition – including a 56-second knockout of Alexandre Machado to claim the vacant ONE Light Heavyweight World Title and a sensational TKO of ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera.
Simply put, Aung La N Sang is at the peak of his powers, and he is ready to prove his superiority over his old foe.
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“He gave me a hard time when I previously fought him, but I was a part-time fighter back then,” he reveals.
“Now that I’m a full-time fighter, and working with the best team in the world and training with the best guys in the world on a daily basis, I feel like this is going to show my improvements since our last fight.
“Every bout you fight is very important, but this one is going to close the door with Vitaly. The last fight, they can say I was lucky or whatever.
“I’ve got to make sure this is a decisive bout. I have to make sure Vitaly will never, ever in his wildest dreams want to fight me again.”
They have already shared 50 grueling minutes in the Circle together, but the two-division ONE World Champion has no intention of extending that another five rounds.
Aung La N Sang is adamant that his tireless work will pay dividends when he ends their rivalry in emphatic fashion.
“I know I can finish him, and I will finish him,” he promises.
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