The Motivation Behind Aung La N Sang's Quest For Self-Improvement

After giving it his all as a challenger, Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang now knows what it is like to be a World Champion.

As the holder of the ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Titles, the 33-year-old never takes the position he has reached for granted, or how easily it could all be taken away if he ever loses sight of his goals.

He does not consider himself to be on a different level than his opponents or any better than the athletes climbing up the ranks in hopes of challenging him one day.

The Myanmar national hero prefers to maintain the hunger he had on his climb towards the top, and he reiterates that point ahead of his main-event bout with Mohammad “O Lutador” Karaki at ONE: PURSUIT OF GREATNESS on Friday, 26 October.

“I’m hungrier than ever,” he states. “As a champion, I’m getting the opportunity to live a better life and to be a better martial artist.”

Because of his status as a two-division ONE World Champion and the most famous athlete in Myanmar, Aung La N Sang has achieved a level of stardom that most will never find.

That being said, he never allows any of that to get into his head. He stays humble and works hard to be an example for the fans who look up to him.

“I don’t really think into that too much. I take it day by day, fight by fight,” he explains.

“Being a two-division champion is an honor, but I don’t let it get to my head. I still got a lot of improvement I need to make in my game. I still have to become a better athlete, and I still have to become a better martial artist.

“There are so many things that I have to work on that I don’t really think of myself like, ‘I’m the double champ, I’m so good.’ I really don’t. I try to get better every day. I try to become a better version of myself every day.”

On some level, every athlete competing on a platform as big as ONE Championship could be viewed as a role model, but the spotlight is even brighter on somebody with the profile of Aung La N Sang.

The responsibility of being a World Champion and one of the faces of the promotion is never lost on him, and he embraces this role because he wants to be a shining example to his three-year-old son.

“When you’re under the microscope by an entire country, it is tough,” he admits.

“I just try to walk the right path in my life. Of course, everybody strays from their path, but you’ve just got to do the best you can do. That’s what I try to do. I try to walk the right path and if I stray, I try to get back on track and keep walking.”

As he prepares for his ONE Middleweight World Title defense at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar this weekend, “The Burmese Python” cannot promise he will never falter.

However, he promises to do everything in his power – at home, in the gym, and in the cage – to be a better person and better martial artist.

“That’s why I train hard every day to become a better version of myself,” he says.

“As a champion, I’ve got to keep improving. I’ve got to keep evolving. I’ve got to keep getting better and better or else somebody is going to take over and take my place. It’s a journey for myself. I’m trying to improve myself.

“I don’t have to compare myself to anybody. I take the responsibility as a champion seriously. So being a champion, I try to keep improving and evolving.”