Former two-division MMA World Champion Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang is determined to reclaim the ONE Middleweight MMA World Title as he nears the twilight of his career. His upcoming fight against Turkish phenom Shamil Erdogan at ONE 168: Denver, which takes place on September 6th at the Ball Arena in Denver, will serve as a stepping stone toward his goal.

In his recent YouTube video titled “Road to Denver: Episode 2”, Aung La N Sang expressed his desire to not only put an L on the undefeated Shamil Erdogan’s record but also to potentially face the three-division MMA World Champion, Anatoly Malykhin in the future. Malykhin currently holds the ONE Middleweight MMA World Title, and he is certainly on Aung La’s radar. “The Burmese Python” discussed ONE Championship’s middleweight MMA division, highlighting his ambitions.

He explained why he believes he should fight Malykhin, stating, “Currently, the middleweight division is kinda weird. Anatoly, who’s the champion, the light heavyweight, and the heavyweight champ too, but at the top, I’m one of them. And I need to put on a great performance to get a title shot next.”

Even if Aung La N Sang defeats Shamil Erdogan, he will still need to wait for a title shot because Anatoly Malykhin is currently focused on defending his ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title against Senegalese powerhouse “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane at ONE 169: Atlanta in November.

Aung La N Sang on his passion for fighting

Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang is a true veteran of the sport, having spent nearly two decades in the world of MMA. Even at 39, he still enjoys fighting and seeks more competition, finding an unmatched satisfaction in the process. He relishes the preparation and thrill of the fight itself, regardless of the outcome.

Aung La wants to fight as much as possible and taste victory again. In his recent YouTube video, “Road to Denver,” he said, “There’s nothing more I love than that feeling when you’re in a fight, and it’s just when you see someone getting knocked out. That war feeling is what I love.”

At the twilight of his career, it will be challenging to envision Aung La defeating a dominant force like Anatoly Malykhin, who remains undefeated with a perfect 13-0 record, finishing every opponent on his path to capture multiple MMA weight division titles in the promotion. But the fight game can be unpredictable, and a solid performance in his next outing will speak volumes about his ability to compete against the best at this stage of his professional life. 

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With still very different paths for the two fighters, we’ll keep an eye out for any developments and provide updates accordingly. Stay tuned for further updates.