Aung La N Sang Wants Another Bout Before Brandon Vera Showdown

Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang is healthy and ready to take on his next challenge.

The two-division ONE World Champion is coming off the third defense of his middleweight belt at ONE: A NEW ERA thanks to a second-round knockout in a rematch with Ken Hasegawa.

Immediately after the contest was over, the 33-year-old accepted a challenge in the cage to defend his light heavyweight crown against Brandon “The Truth” Vera in October.

ONE Championship caught up with Aung La N Sang in Phuket, Thailand to reflect on his win, and find out why fans may not have to wait until ONE: GREATNESS UNLEASHED  to see his return.

ONE Championship: How are you feeling just 48 hours after that bout [with Ken Hasegawa]?

Aung La N Sang: I feel great, no actual damage was taken – just some superficial pain on my foot from kicks, but besides from that, I feel good.

After the first fight, my face was unrecognizable, but this time I didn’t take any damage, so [my wife] is happy and I’m happy too.

ONE:  This bout went a lot smoother than the first. Were you surprised that’s how the bout ended up playing out?

ALNS: Not surprised, because people don’t see the work you put in. I put in a lot of work for this – a hard grueling camp.

I know he was training very seriously for this, so I had to take it twice as serious as he did. It was a 12-week camp, so a long camp.

ONE: Have you had any contact with Hasegawa since the bout?

ALNS: I just contacted him making sure he’s okay. He was taken to the hospital, but he’s good now. He had some fluid in his lungs and a few broken ribs, but he’s good now.

ONE: How was it for you to perform in Japan for the first time?

ALNS: It’s a dream come true as a martial artist because I grew up watching PRIDE and K-1 – all those events in Japan.

Besides that, you’re against one competitor in a cage, so nothing else changed for me, I felt very calm, relaxed, and on point.

ONE: You’re used to competing in a packed Thuwunna Indoor Stadium with all the fans going crazy, chanting your name. Japan is a lot quieter, but there was a Myanmar section just for you. How did that impact the bout?

ALNS: I like the energy in Japan. We did have a lot of Myanmar fans as well – there’s going to be Myanmar fans everywhere you go, I guarantee you that. There’s like 55 million all over the world.

The energy was awesome because it was a full stadium – it was at 100 percent capacity, so it was exciting. I loved the energy, I loved the atmosphere, and I just loved being in there.

ONE: What were your emotions when Brandon Vera walked into the cage and laid down that challenge?

ALNS: He’s talked about wanting to compete against me before, but now we’re doing it officially and letting the world know that we’re going to compete in October.

I accepted it because I’m a Brandon Vera fan. I’ve been a fan since he started his career and I’ve always rooted for him. To be able to compete against someone of his character is an honor for me, so I’m excited about it.

ONE: Would you consider him the greatest test of your career so far?

ALNS: There’s some preparation I’m going have to do for Brandon Vera. I don’t know if he’s the toughest test yet, but we’ll see in October.

ONE: Where do you think you will have the edge in this match-up, and what are his greatest threats?

ALNS: Brandon Vera is lengthier, he’s heavier, he has knockout power, a good ground game – he poses a lot of threat. But one thing I have is heart. You can nail me for five, five-minute rounds, but I always come back at you.

I have heart, determination, and a great team behind me – Hard Knocks 365. I’ll be able to feel comfortable in a very uncomfortable situation that Brandon Vera brings. 

ONE: Would you consider stepping into the cage before then?

ALNS: I definitely want to be back, I definitely want to be competing, and I definitely want to be defending my World Title. I want to do one more before October, that’s for sure.

Like the title of our [event in Tokyo], it is a new era for me. I’m just getting into my groove, and I can’t wait to show the fans more exciting matches. That’s all I do.

Every match I come into, I try to make it exciting. I don’t play for points – I play for keeps. I compete to entertain the fans.