3 Potential Opponents For ‘Reug Reug’s’ Return To The Circle
“Reug Reug” Oumar Kane is still relatively new to mixed martial arts, but he has already made waves in ONE Championship.
The Senegalese wrestling sensation got off to the perfect start on the global stage as he picked up back-to-back wins in just over two months, finishing both Alain “The Panther” Ngalani and Patrick “Big Swiss” Schmid in the first round.
Although he suffered his first career defeat in a tense battle against Kirill Grishenko at “ONE on TNT IV,” there is still a lot more to come from the African heavyweight, and fans can’t wait to see him back in action.
Here are three prospective opponents for Kane ahead of his return to the Circle.
#1 Mehdi Barghi
“Reug Reug” was originally slated to face Mehdi Barghi at “ONE on TNT I,” but the Iranian was forced to withdraw at the last minute, which led to Schmid replacing him to open the United States prime-time television series.
With a training camp already under his belt for Barghi, Kane would love to showcase the improvements he made to compete against the AAA Team representative.
Iran’s reputation on the wrestling mats is renowned the world over, but “Reug Reug’s” physicality and experience in the Senegalese grappling arts combine to make a fearsome concoction in combat.
Both athletes are young in their mixed martial arts careers and have similar styles, so this could be the logical next step for each man.
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#2 Abdulbasir Vagabov
Known as the “Dagestan Machine,” Abdulbasir Vagabov was a solid addition to the heavyweight roster.
He came up short against former ONE World Title challenger Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli in his promotional debut, but he has a lot more to offer in The Home Of Martial Arts.
The Allstars Training Center product has an exemplary 12-2 record with 10 first-round finishes, which means that a battle with “Reug Reug” would almost certainly end early and definitively.
Both men will be keen to get back on the winning track and continue their climb up the ladder. And by upping the ante even more, this colossal contest would certainly have fans on the edge of their seats.
#3 Dustin Joynson
Undefeated Canadian Dustin Joynson is still eagerly awaiting his chance to compete in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
At 6-0 (1 NC), the man from The Fitness Academy has a great platform to push toward the heavyweight division’s upper echelon, and Kane would be a perfect foil to show whether or not the time is right for that move up.
Joynson’s main focus is on his countryman Arjan “Singh” Bhullar’s gold. However, like Kane, to get there, he needs to build himself up by taking on tough opposition.
The British Columbia native has earned four of his six victories via knockout or submission, and he has also gone 15 minutes to win on two occasions. That stamina and versatility could pose some problems for the Senegalese hulk, who is known to bum-rush opponents early with his blitz of destruction.
Whichever man emerges with the win could be hurtled toward World Title contention in the rapidly expanding heavyweight division.
Read more: ‘Reug Reug’ Oumar Kane: From Humble Beginnings To Rising Star
